State AGs, Division I University, And NCAA Trade Punches Over NIL

This week, media outlets reported that the NCAA is investigating alleged name, image, and likeness (NIL) violations by the University of Tennessee and its NIL collective. Just one day later, Tennessee's attorney general, joined by the attorney general of Virginia, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. The lawsuit is a counter-punch that could have significant implications for college sports and the NIL phenomenon.

Although the concrete details surrounding the NCAA's investigation into Tennessee's NIL activities are scant, it is widely believed that the investigation involves the university's main NIL collective run by Knoxville-based sports marketing group Spyre Sports Group, and that it covers the football program as well as athletes in other sports. Among the matters under investigation are reports that Tennessee's NIL collective flew Volunteer quarterback Nico Iamaleava on a private jet during his University of Tennessee recruiting visit. It appears