Florida joins lawsuit vs. NCAA over NIL recruiting rules
The state of Florida is making another legal foray into college sports, this time against the NCAA.
Attorney General Ashley Moody has joined a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA over name, image and likeness (NIL) restrictions. The original complaint was filed in January by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia. They accused the NCAA of “enforcing rules that unfairly restrict how athletes can commercially use” their name, image and likeness during recruiting.
“It appears no one could ever comply with these ever-changing and unfair regulations that limit the ability of student athletes to negotiate in good faith,” Moody said in a statement. “I am taking legal action to reverse the unlawful restrictions the NCAA has placed on Florida universities and our collegiate athletes.”
Florida schools have, unquestionably, been affected by the restrictions. The suit included two notable examples.
Earlier this year, Florida State received two years of probation, a scholarship deduction, recruiting sanctions and other penalties after an assistant facilitated a meeting between a prospect and the head of a third-party NIL collective. The recruit was offered $15,000 a month in that April 2022 meeting. FSU and the NCAA agreed upon Level II violations.
In June, the NCAA opened an inquiry into the Gators for potential recruiting/NIL violations. That inquiry stemmed from a failed name, image and likeness deal involving the recruitment of blue-chip quarterback Jaden Rashada.
In February, U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker issued an injunction prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing its recruiting rules with name, image and likeness.
Moody said the restrictions on name, image and likeness opportunities must end immediately. Washington D.C. and New York also joined the amended federal complaint, which was filed Wednesday. The antitrust division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office is involved.
This isn’t the first time Moody and her office have waded into major college sports. In December, her office opened an antitrust investigation into the College Football Playoff after the 13-0 Seminoles were excluded from the four-team field.
Last week, she filed a complaint against the ACC over potential violations of Florida’s public-records laws regarding ESPN contracts relevant to the lawsuits between FSU and its conference. Her office has also considered more involvement as FSU appeals a North Carolina ruling to that state’s supreme court.
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