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Marsha Blackburn, Cory Booker join forces against NCAA amid Tennessee investigation
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- Marsha Blackburn, Cory Booker join forces against NCAA amid Tennessee investigation
Add the U.S. Senate to the parties attacking the NCAA as the Tennessee attorney general and University of Tennessee wage battles against the association on multiple fronts.
On Tuesday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, reintroduced the NCAA Accountability Act to establish due process protections for college athletes, coaches and universities that are under investigation by the NCAA for rules violations.
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If the bill had already been law, it would've shortened and minimized the NCAA's ongoing investigation into allegations that UT broke rules involving name, image and likeness benefits for athletes.
The Accountability Act seeks to speed up NCAA investigations.
The bill would require the NCAA to give a school a notice of inquiry within 60 days of receiving information that a violation may have occurred and complete an investigation within one year of giving the school that notice of inquiry.
Also, there would be a two-year statute of limitations for NCAA rules violations, meaning the NCAA could not investigate alleged violations that occurred more than two years before a notice of inquiry was provided to a school.
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DID NICO IAMALEAVA BREAK NIL RULES? Timeline of events involving quarterback and NCAA investigation
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine promoting competition and protecting consumers in live entertainment on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Should NCAA investigation be further along?
Those requirements are relevant to UT, which is amid its second major NCAA investigation in the past seven months. In July, it was put on a five-year probation for major recruiting infractions committed under fired football coach Jeremy Pruitt from 2018 to early 2021.
The new investigation might have been expedited if the Accountability Act was in place.
Several months ago, NCAA investigators showed an interest in allegations that UT broke rules involving NIL, Knox News has learned. But the investigation is ongoing. On Jan. 30, the probe was first reported by SI.com and acknowledged by UT. The university has not received a notice of inquiry or a notice of allegations.
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Under the Accountability Act, such a probe would have hit the 60-day deadline months ago. Instead, it lingers on.
"Student-athletes work their entire lives to compete on the college stage, and we must ensure that they are properly compensated for their talents, not bogged down with frustrating investigations with an organization that continues to move the goal posts," Blackburn said Tuesday in a news release.
"The NCAA Accountability Act brings much-needed consistency and transparency to the NCAA, ensuring that everyone is operating under the same set of expectations for rule violations."
Would Nico Iamaleava allegation be too old to investigate?
The two-year statute of limitations also could have been applicable in this investigation.
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The New York Times reported that Spyre Sports Group, the NIL collective that pays UT athletes, had facilitated a private jet for quarterback Nico Iamaleava to fly to Knoxville while UT was recruiting him.
If the NCAA deemed Spyre or the person who provided the plane as a booster, that would be a violation.
The New York Times did not report a date of the flight. But it likely would've been in early 2022 . Iamaleava signed an NIL deal with Spyre on March 11, 2022, according to The Athletic, and he committed to UT on March 21, 2022.
If those dates align with the alleged violations, time would be running out for the NCAA's investigation.
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Under the Accountability Act, the NCAA could not include alleged violations from two years ago in a notice of inquiry.
Bill started in Tennessee, and now gets second life there
The bill initially was introduced in Congress in September by Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., and referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Now it's getting a second push as senators sense blood in the water around the NCAA.
"The NCAA's unchecked authority and lack of transparency have led to unfair treatment within college athletics, most recently at the University of Tennessee," Kustoff told Knox News in an email.
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"I applaud Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti for taking swift action to protect Tennessee's student-athletes. It is time to pass my legislation, the NCAA Accountability Act, to ensure due process, fairness, and accountability in NCAA enforcement proceedings. Student-athletes and universities deserve clear and fair rules."
Congressman David Kustoff answers questions from media after the first Jackson Rotary Club meeting of the year in Jackson, Tenn., on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.
On Jan. 29, UT Chancellor Donde Plowman sent a scathing letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker about the investigation, and Knox News obtained the letter via a public records request on Jan. 30.
On Jan. 31, Skrmetti, the Tennessee attorney general, filed an antitrust suit against the NCAA over its "NIL-recruiting ban." It immediately drew support from Gov. Bill Lee and other state officials.
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On Feb. 1, UT athletics director Danny White took his turn blasting the NCAA for "leaking information to the media" about "this ill-conceived investigation" in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
And UT football player Jackson Lampley filed a declaration in federal court that he is ready to testify if called in the state of Tennessee's lawsuit against the NCAA.
The Tennessee attorney general is seeking a restraining order that would pause enforcement of NCAA rules governing NIL benefits until a federal judge hears arguments Feb. 13 over whether to freeze enforcement while the court considers the challenge to the NCAA rules.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Marsha Blackburn, Cory Booker join forces vs. NCAA amid Tennessee probe
