This was just posted on Law360.com. It relates to the West Virginia lawsuit in which the federal judge had issued the TRO banning enforcement of transfer eligibility rules back in December, which was the impetus for Jeremiah Williams ultimately becoming eligible.
Law360 (May 30, 2024, 4:42 PM EDT) -- The NCAA on Thursday agreed to stop enforcing all rules governing athlete transfers, as part of a proposed consent decree filed by the U.S. Department of Justice to settle an antitrust suit against the organization by 10 states and the District of Columbia.
The consent decree prohibits the NCAA from enforcing its transfer eligibility rules and its rule of restitution against anyone connected with the eligibility rules. It also orders the NCAA to give an extra year of eligibility to athletes declared ineligible because of those rules. The original seven states in the antitrust complaint filed suit in West Virginia federal court last December, and were granted a temporary injunction barring the NCAA from enforcing its transfer rules.
The Justice Department and the additional states joined the suit with an amended complaint in January. The NCAA Division I council in April lifted its ban restricting athletes transferring more than once.
"Free from anticompetitive rules that unfairly limit their mobility, Division I college athletes will now be able to choose the institutions that best meet their academic, personal and professional development needs," U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division said in a statement on Thursday's proposed consent decree. "This resolution is a testament to the benefits of federal and state enforcers working together to ensure free markets and fair competition for all Americans."
Law360 (May 30, 2024, 4:42 PM EDT) -- The NCAA on Thursday agreed to stop enforcing all rules governing athlete transfers, as part of a proposed consent decree filed by the U.S. Department of Justice to settle an antitrust suit against the organization by 10 states and the District of Columbia.
The consent decree prohibits the NCAA from enforcing its transfer eligibility rules and its rule of restitution against anyone connected with the eligibility rules. It also orders the NCAA to give an extra year of eligibility to athletes declared ineligible because of those rules. The original seven states in the antitrust complaint filed suit in West Virginia federal court last December, and were granted a temporary injunction barring the NCAA from enforcing its transfer rules.
The Justice Department and the additional states joined the suit with an amended complaint in January. The NCAA Division I council in April lifted its ban restricting athletes transferring more than once.
"Free from anticompetitive rules that unfairly limit their mobility, Division I college athletes will now be able to choose the institutions that best meet their academic, personal and professional development needs," U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division said in a statement on Thursday's proposed consent decree. "This resolution is a testament to the benefits of federal and state enforcers working together to ensure free markets and fair competition for all Americans."
