The NCAA is like a dying COPD victim struggling for each breath. Its going to die no matter what happens because its completely outlived its usefulness. These type of actions taken by the NCAA will ensure that it will make it to that last breath that much quicker.
“If Spyre is found by the NCAA to be a representative of Tennessee's athletic interests, that relationship could be a violation.” Aren't all collectives there for their associated school’s athletic interest? If so, then by my count, there would be 133 violators at the FBS level. This is going to be such a mess.
The rubber has hit the road. I don't know what the NCAA is after us for, but if it is anything significant, we might want to consider intervening in the lawsuit. The NCAA has its butt in a wringer at this point. While I detest NIL, the courts have authorized it, and the NCAA sat on its hands and offered virtually no guidance. I wouldn't want their side of this case.
I might be wrong in the way I’m reading this, but I believe Spyre is claiming no affiliation with UT. They want everyone to believe they had a NIL contract with Nico before he signed with anyone and it didn’t matter to them where he signed. As mentioned earlier by someone, the fact that Tom Mars is involved makes this all smell even more.
"While the NCAA generally does not comment on specific infractions cases, it is important to remember that NCAA member schools and conferences not only make the rules but routinely call for greater enforcement of those rules and holding violators accountable," the NCAA statement read. "In recent years, this has been especially true as it relates to establishing and enforcing a consistent set of national rules intended to manage the name, image and likeness environment. "This legal action would exacerbate what our members themselves have frequently described as a 'wild west' atmosphere, further titling competitive imbalance among schools in neighboring states and diminishing protections for student-athletes from potential exploitation. The NCAA remains firmly committed to protecting and expanding student-athletes' NIL rights and opportunities. However, our membership has steadfastly supported the prohibition on impermissible recruiting contacts, booster involvement in recruiting prospects and the use of NIL offers as recruiting inducements." NCAA issues statement defending NIL regulations amid state of Tennessee's antirust lawsuit
It seemed off that the UcheaT president would make available such a strongly worded press release, err, um, "letter" to the NCAA. Now, on its heels, the lawsuit which wasn't drafted overnight but which also reads like a press release. Strange that UcheaT went straight nuclear through the AG. Way too much smoke here, IMO. Couched in language "for the safety of the children" which I've found is never good. LOL! This could get interesting. Fast. Apparently UcheaT (opps, the AG) is only suddenly interested the "safety of the children" when they're looking down the barrel of "repeat offender" status and "lack of institutional control." The AG may have opened the door to some interesting discovery from UcheaT the NCAA ordinarily couldn't get.
You are correct, I want to see what kind of "retroactive" rule the NCAA has implemented to prevent pay-for-play NIL inducements. And... even thought states have laws on the books to prevent pay-for-play... I still DO NOT WANT FEDERAL OVERSIGHT of college football on any level. This NCAA play might just be steering us to that end, and we have to fight for our right to keep college football autonomous from federal oversight at all cost. We should never have just one college football commissioner. College athletics is a states rights (and state controlled) issue.
Wow, a Sting reference. Was in my apartment in Gville and skipped class to watch the premier of MTV. Perhaps we should be careful what we wish for with the Vols, though; aren’t we also under investigation? I hate to think it, but glass houses and all…
For anyone that doesn’t already know, that’s Batesy wearing #62 that Sandler drop kicks after the “momma” insult in that movie.
Interesting perspective! To threaten the NCAA with a lawsuit is understandable in one sense; UcheaT, being under probation could really face severe penalties. However, I would expect a chancellor to have a very measured response thr NCAA! The chancellor's overreaction raises huge red flags!
Calling it a "state's rights issue" makes it sound like each state gets to make its own rules which is about the last thing college football needs.
Attacking the cash cows that support it is really strange unless the schools are behind it trying to find a way not to pay players which could get really messy fast.
I guess states do get to make their own laws to a certain extent and football and games kids play shouldn’t really come in to play . College football only has so much to say about what citizens can or can’t do and these kids aren’t “employed” by the schools, the kids are employed by the private collectives.
That’s rich, they want to protect the players from exploitation? Seems to me the ncaa(schools) want that booster money headed back their way instead of in the players pockets.
Does anyone in the universe actually believe the kid isn’t being paid to be Tennessee’s qb. Is this satire? Where’s Mel Brookes
Except that is what has happened in the NIL space.....every State passed its own set of laws regarding it starting with CA.
I have no love for UT, but their Chancellor is calling out the elephant in the room: That every school has a booster collective. You can't selectively punish one and not all. I think it was a smart move for her to come out with guns blazing. The NCAA will fold like the cheap suit it is just like it did when UNC committed egregious academic dishonesty violations and weren't sanctioned. Florida's Attorney General should join the suit that Tennessee filed and Virginia joined.
