AG Skrmetti Issues Prepared Remarks After Preliminary Injunction Hearing Challenging NCAA’s NIL-Recruitment Ban

GREENEVILLE, TN- Today, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti addressed members of the media outside the James H. Quillen United States Courthouse following the Eastern District of Tennessee Court’s preliminary injunction hearing in the state of Tennessee’s lawsuit against the NCAA’s illegal name, image, and likeness (NIL)-recruitment ban. Immediately after the hearing, the Office of the Attorney General released the following prepared remarks:

“It’s a wonderful day to fight on behalf of our student-athletes in Tennessee; they are the backbone of college sports,” Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said, according to prepared remarks. “Due to the NCAA’s arbitrary and illegal rules, student-athletes are being harmed and prevented from making important decisions concerning their name, image, and likeness rights — which may have a big impact on their academic and financial futures. Meanwhile, everybody else involved in college sports is getting rich at those student-athletes’ expense. That is not legal, not right and it needs to change. Antitrust law in this area is clear, and as the Court has previously said, our case is likely to succeed on the merits. We are happy with the case’s progression and look forward to litigating it fully if necessary.”

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