Attorney General Miyares Secures Major Victory for Student-Athletes Against the NCAA

RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares today announced that a bipartisan coalition of states reached a final settlement, pending court approval, in the lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), which will reform college athletics by ending the NCAA’s illegal Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) recruiting ban.

“For too long, the NCAA’s outdated restrictions unfairly limited student-athletes’ economic opportunities, holding them to a different standard and restricting their ability to benefit from their talent and hard work just like any other American. Virginia is proud to have helped lead the fight to protect student-athletes’ freedoms and create a more just and competitive future for college athletics,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares.

If approved by the court, the settlement will transform college athletics and ensure the rights and freedoms of student-athletes by:

• Empowering Student-Athletes During Recruitment: Guarantee that future student-athletes and current student-athletes in the transfer portal can freely negotiate compensation for their name, image, and likeness before they commit to a specific school;
• Removing Third-Party Restrictions: Allow third parties to negotiate NIL deals with prospective student-athletes during the standard recruiting windows;
• Enhancing School Support: Enable schools to provide prospective student-athletes with support and assistance regarding NIL opportunities during the recruiting process;
• Securing Long-Term Protections: Prohibit the NCAA from undermining or circumventing these provisions through future actions; and
• Establishing Increased Transparency and Oversight: The NCAA must publicize any proposed NIL changes for the next five years and must meet with the states before any proposed NIL changes can go into effect.

In January 2024, Attorney General Miyares and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging that its NIL restrictions violate federal antitrust law, stifle competition, and unfairly limit both current and future student-athletes. In May 2024, the attorneys general of the District of Columbia, Florida, and New York joined Virginia and Tennessee in the lawsuit. A federal judge agreed with the states’ allegations and blocked the NCAA’s enforcement of its illegal rules throughout the duration of the litigation, and the parties announced a settlement in principle in January 2025.

This final settlement, which awaits court approval, represents a decisive victory in the continued effort to protect the economic freedom of student-athletes and stabilize college athletics.

Read the final settlement agreement here.

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