Attorney General James Applauds Temporary Restraining Order Granted Against NCAA

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released a statement after a federal judge temporarily stopped the NCAA from enforcing a transfer eligibility rule pending a preliminary injunction hearing in connection with a lawsuit filed by Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general. The transfer eligibility rule prohibits Division I college athletes from competing for a year if they transfer schools twice.

“While this is an important short-term win, we will not stop until the NCAA’s unfair rule is struck down. The NCAA’s transfer eligibility rule is not fair play, and we will continue to fight to ensure that college athletes do not need to choose between their academic goals and athletic pursuits.” 

Last week, Attorney General James and a coalition of six attorneys general filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA challenging its transfer eligibility rule, which prohibits Division I college athletes from competing in sports for one year if they transfer schools for a second time. The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA rule is an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.