Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Friday that his office has reached a settlement in principle with the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) over its name, image, and likeness (NIL) recruitment ban.
Exactly one year prior, on January 31, 2024, Skrmetti and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA’s NIL recruitment ban, which prohibits prospective student-athletes from discussing potential NIL opportunities with schools and collectives prior to enrolling.
Today is a big day for the protection of student-athletes’ rights.
Last year, we blocked the NCAA’s unlawful enforcement against Tennessee students and schools.
Now this settlement in principle lays the groundwork for a permanent solution.
➡️https://t.co/p41HOqFVUT pic.twitter.com/GMWs0wuA6I
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) January 31, 2025
The NCAA’s NIL recruitment ban specifically prohibits student-athletes from negotiating with collectives, reviewing NIL offers before making enrollment decisions, and adequately considering the full scope of NIL-related services a school might offer upon enrollment.
The lawsuit led by Skrmetti and Miyares was also joined by the attorneys general of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Skrmetti and Miyares argued that the NIL recruitment ban “violated antitrust laws in its enforcement of rules that unfairly restricted how student-athletes can commercially use their NIL at a critical juncture in the recruiting process.”
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Eastern District Court of Tennessee granted the plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction, barring the NCAA from enforcing its NIL-recruitment ban until the case was decided.
On Friday, Skrmetti announced that the NCAA negotiated with the plaintiffs and reached a settlement in principle that will “protect student-athletes’ NIL rights during the recruiting process” and prohibit the NCAA from reviving its NIL recruitment ban.
“We’ve been fighting hard to protect Tennessee student-athletes,” Skrmetti said in a statement.
“Last year, we blocked the NCAA’s unlawful enforcement against Tennessee students and schools, and now this settlement in principle lays the groundwork for a permanent solution,” Skrmetti added.
Miyares said Friday’s settlement is a “major step toward helping student-athletes to control their own future.”
“We look forward to a final settlement that ensures student-athletes—just like any other American—can benefit from their talent, hard work, and NIL market value,” Miyares added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “AG Jonathan Skrmetti” by AG Skrmetti and “Tennessee Vols” by Corps of Engineers Nashville District CC2.0.
