A federal judge issued a landmark ruling in the NCAA/NIL case Friday, blocking the NCAA from enforcing its rule against recruiters signing with boosters, per the Athletic
Judge Clifton L. Corker ruled that the lawsuit the attorneys general of Virginia and Tennessee jointly filed against the NCAA was valid and could prohibit the NCAA from blocking attempts for athletes to sign name, image and likeness (NIL) deals before they sign with schools, per the Athletic.
“The NCAA’s prohibition likely violates federal antitrust law and harms student-athletes,” Corker wrote in his decision, according to The Athletic.
The landmark decision will open the floodgates for recruiters and boosters to try and sign athletes long before they decide where they’ll attend college.
BREAKING: It’s the NCAA’s worst nightmare. A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction in the Tennessee NIL case–meaning the NCAA cannot enforce any NIL restrictions or rules until the lawsuit is settled or goes to trial. Story to come
— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) February 23, 2024
The ruling is just a preliminary injunction so the matter is far from settled, but for now, the NCAA is completely prohibited from forcing any NIL rules until the case is settled or goes to trial, Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich noted. (RELATED: Livvy’s Starring In New Docuseries About Big-Money NIL Deals And We All Know Why People Will Be Watching)
NCAA rules did previously allow current NCAA athletes who already signed with schools to have NIL deals but the new ruling will now allow anybody to sign brand deals before even setting foot on a college campus.