A huge new report claims that SEC schools like Alabama, Texas, and LSU could soon push to have conference rivals from the state of Tennessee removed from the league over potential resistance to sign a new NIL loyalty document.
Name, image, and likeness rules have forever changed college sports. No longer can colleges get away with making billions from sports and not fairly compensating athletes. Now, millions have flowed into amateur sports from NIL collectives. However, a new settlement between the government and the NCAA will lead to schools paying players directly. As well as put salary cap limits on how much can be spent on college sports.
However, Tennessee is looking to circumvent that and benefit its college sports teams with a new law that will protect universities in the state from antitrust lawsuits by athletes and NIL collectives unhappy with the updated player-pay rules. It would essentially allow those schools to compete without the guardrails being used by the rest of the universities around the country.
Could SEC powerhouses like Alabama and Texas kick Tennessee out of the conference?
Well, the NCAA and all the major conferences, including the SEC, have concerns about schools sticking to the news guidelines. On Thursday, Knox News reported that a loyalty document is being circulated in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and the SEC. It requires schools to agree to follow the guidelines from the House vs. NCAA settlement. Despite new laws giving them the freedom to circumvent the rules.
The loyalty document also requires schools to waive their right to sue the NCAA or conferences over issues with those rules. There is reason to believe schools like Tennessee or Vanderbilt could forego signing the document because of how much the law benefits their sports programs. Well, if they decline signing, Knox News claims a serious penalty could be levied on those universities.
“The document has not been finalized. But potential consequences of not signing it include expulsion from the conference. Or participation in playing games against other power conference schools,” the outlet claimed.
Tennessee claims it will follow the new guidelines of ‘House vs. NCAA’ settlement
In a statement to Knox News, Tennessee claimed it would comply with the settlement. However, it is still no guarantee that they will sign the SEC loyalty document.
“The University of Tennessee has committed to following the House settlement if it is approved,” UT said in a statement. “That commitment has not changed. We appreciate the Tennessee General Assembly’s forethought in passing NIL legislation that provides future protections for student-athletes and institutions beyond the House settlement.”
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