Judge’s ruling makes NCAA show-cause penalties illegal in California
By Adam Spencer
Published:
On Tuesday, a monumental ruling was handed down in the case of former USC assistant Todd McNair, who sued the NCAA seven years ago over a show-cause penalty he received.
Per the Los Angeles Times, Judge Frederick Shaller ruled that show-cause penalties unlawfully restrain a coach from pursuing a lawful profession.
In the report, Shaller explained his thinking when making the ruling:
Shaller’s eight-page decision voided the show-cause provision of NCAA bylaws because it constituted an “unlawful restraint” on McNair’s pursuing a lawful profession.
“McNair’s ability to practice his profession as a college football coach has been restricted, if not preempted, not only in Los Angeles, but in every state in the country,” Shaller wrote.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said before the verdict that the ban on show-cause penalties could put Cal, UCLA, Stanford and USC’s status with the NCAA in question:
“If California law prevents institutions in that state from honoring such commitments, it is hard to see how the Pac-12’s Member Universities in California could continue to meet the requirements of NCAA membership,” Scott wrote.
Stanford and USC are private schools, so it’s likely that the rule doesn’t necessarily apply to them. However, coaches at the state universities can no longer be punished with a show-cause penalty.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
