KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football Head Coach Josh Hepuel submitted a statement on Friday in support of the Tennessee Attorney General and the Virginia Attorney General suing the NCAA.
The attorney general's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, said the NCAA's NIL recruiting ban unfairly limits competition and reduces the amount of money a college athlete could get from their name, image and likeness.
Current rules prevent athletes from negotiating NIL contracts before they commit to a university. The lawsuit said the NCAA rules prevent an athlete from earning their full value.
"Because selecting the right school is so important, when a recruit goes to a school that is not the best fit, they may end up being deprived of personal or professional opportunities that they will never be able to go back and recreate. UT could be the best fit for some recruits, but some recruits will never know that because the NIL-recruiting ban prevents them from having the full picture of their options," Heupel said. "The consequences of a mismatch between player and school are more than just financial ones. It could create mental health issues that could potentially change the entire course of a student athlete’s career."
You can read the full court document below.