Federal Judge Denies Tennessee, Virginia Temporary Restraining Order Request vs. NCAA

The preliminary injunction hearing is still scheduled for Feb. 13.

A U.S. District judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA by the states of Tennessee and Virginia.

Last week, the attorneys general of those two states filed a federal antitrust lawsuit to challenge NCAA’s rules prohibiting name, image and likeness compensation being used as a recruiting tool.

The lawsuit originated due to the NCAA’s investigation into allegations that the University of Tennessee broke rules involving NIL of athletes. In a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker last week, Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman referred to the NCAA’s investigation of the Volunteers as “factually untrue and procedurally flawed.”

“The NCAA fully supports student-athletes profiting from their NIL rights, and the Association looks forward to discussing how member schools and conferences overwhelmingly support the current rules that prohibit tampering with student-athletes and unchecked recruiting contacts,” the NCAA said in a statement Tuesday. “There is ample opportunity for NCAA members to pursue rule changes through the policy-making process in which all 1,100 schools voluntarily participate.”

As Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde points out, the federal judge’s denial Tuesday only applies to the temporary restraining order. The preliminary injunction hearing is still scheduled for Feb. 13, so the book is not closed on the lawsuit between Tennessee, Virginia and the NCAA.

“Tennessee remains committed to protecting the rights of our student-athletes,” the state’s attorney general’s office said Tuesday in a statement. “We look forward to litigating this case and enforcing the law.”