Attorney General Phil Weiser pleased with federal court ruling temporarily suspending NCAA’s athlete transfer rule

Dec. 13, 2023 (DENVER) – Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement in reaction to today’s ruling by a federal district court judge in West Virginia temporarily suspending the NCAA’s transfer eligibility rule:

“Colorado believes that student athletes should be able to move freely and transfer to universities where they can best pursue opportunities to thrive. The NCAA’s transfer rule prevents them from doing that and violates the antitrust laws. We are pleased that the court issued a temporary restraining order preventing this rule from being enforced and look forward to reforming the NCAA’s transfer rule on a permanent basis.”

Weiser joined a group of state attorneys general last week in filing a lawsuit against the NCAA, challenging a rule that imposes a one-year delay in player eligibility to transfer between Division I college athletic programs. The attorneys general named in the multistate suit say the lawsuit is necessary to ensure free competition between colleges and universities for top talent, top-notch on-field products for sports consumers, and for freedom of economic opportunity for athletes.

Other states that joined the lawsuit are Ohio, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

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Media Contact:
Lawrence Pacheco
Chief Communications Officer
(720) 508-6553 office | (720) 245-4689 cell
lawrence.pacheco@coag.gov