Is the NCAA About to Fall Into “Immediate Disarray” Given Today’s Federal Court Order?

The Court just granted a preliminary injunction, enjoining enforcement of the NCAA's "NIL-recruiting ban" in a case brought by Tennessee and Virginia in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. As of now, under this Order, student-athletes may "negotiate NIL deals with third parties prior to committing to a particular school." That explicitly includes boosters/collectives.

The Court changed its mind about irreparable harm since its last order denying an injunction. In its own words: "Although the Court previously held that Plaintiffs could not prove irreparable harm because the asserted harm (suppressed NIL compensation) was compensable by monetary damages [Doc. 29, pg. 10], it is now clear that the harm is not strictly monetary."

The NCAA has argued that this injunction would "introduce immediate disarray into collegiate athletics." Given the conference's prior lack of enforcement, it seems unlikely chaos will suddenly reign. But there is no doubt that big changes to college sports are coming, and fast.