Tennessee’s legal fight against the NCAA’s NIL rules has ended in victory, as a settlement permanently removes recruiting restrictions for athletes.

The NCAA and a coalition of states led by Tennessee reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the NCAA, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Jan. 31.

The NCAA has settled the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia and other states over its rules prohibiting name, image and likeness compensation for recruits.

The NCAA and the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit brought by the states in 2024 that challenged the NCAA’s rules banning name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation from being used as a recruiting inducement,

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined multiple states in suing the association over the NIL Recruiting Ban, alleging it would violate federal antitrust laws.