1/31/2024 football Edit

State officials voice support for Tennessee amid NCAA investigation

Tennessee is getting strong support amid an NIL investigation headed by the NCAA. (University of Tennessee Athletics)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

The University of Tennessee now has some powerful backers in its pending fight against the NCAA.

After a report surfaced Tuesday that the NCAA was conducting an investigation into multiple Tennessee athletics programs concerning Name, Image and Likeness, an email from University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman to NCAA President Charlie Baker in which she called the organization “intellectually dishonest” and “morally wrong” in its handling of NIL, showed that Tennessee intended to clap back against whatever accusations the NCAA brought against it.

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Now, the school has statewide support.

State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a suit against the NCAA in the Eastern District of Tennessee federal court Wednesday morning.

“Student-athletes are entitled to rules that are clear and rules that are fair,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “College sports wouldn’t exist without college athletes, and those students shouldn’t be left behind while everybody else involved prospers. The NCAA’s restraints on prospective students’ ability to meaningfully negotiate NIL deals violate federal antitrust law. Only Congress has the power to impose such limits.”

In the official complaint, sent to VolReport by the attorney general's office, the state of Tennessee argues that the NCAA has been "enforcing rules" that "unfairly restrict" the use of NIL.

The complaint also states that the NCAA is in violation of the Sherman Act, an antitrust law that is the "comprehensive charter of economic liberty aimed at preserving free and unfettered competition as the rule of trade."

The 20-page suit calls the NCAA a "massive business" and has "escaped antitrust scrutiny" for decades until the federal inaction of NIL in 2021.

It further argues that the NCAA is "thumbing its nose" at the law and that the organization is trying to stop the NIL market from "functioning" and that newly formed NCAA rules ban prospective student-athletes from discussing NIL opportunities before enrolling at their respective schools.

According to reports, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who was a highly touted prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle, is at the center of the NCAA's investigation because of alleged contact with Spyre Sports Group, one of the school's NIL collective partners, before he enrolled at Tennessee in December 2022.

Tennessee’s response could be unprecedented in the next phase of NIL.

In a move seemingly aimed at flexing its muscle, the NCAA has recently opened investigations into Florida and Florida State over alleged NIL violations, which resulted in punishments being handed down for the Florida State football program and one of its collectives.

According to reports, the Florida investigation has been ongoing since June 2023.

According to emails obtained by VolReport through a public records requests, Plowman’s office made several attempts to arrange a meeting with Baker to discuss the investigation in December 2023 but was denied.

VolReport reached out to Tennessee for a statement on the lawsuit, but was told that the athletic department does not have a statement at the this time other than a post from athletic director Danny White on X (formerly known as Twitter) Wednesday morning.

"I appreciate the action of Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti for standing up for the rights of student-athletes," White wrote. "At Tennessee, we are always going to work to support our student-athletes' rights and give them all the tools needed to succeed on and off the field. This is what strong leadership looks like!"

Skrmetti wasn’t the only high-profile state official to voice support for the school.

University of Tennessee System President Randy Body and Gov. Bill Lee released statements Wednesday via X, praising Plowman’s response to the NCAA

"The University of Tennessee has been nothing but forthcoming with the NCAA, and I thank Chancellor Donde Plowman for taking a stand on behalf of all universities and student athletes," Lee said in a statement. "It's time for the NCAA to establish clear rules in the interest of student athletes, rather than try to retroactively enforce ever-changing name, image and likeness guidance."

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