This morning, an Alabama judge granted a preliminary injunction, at the request of Jeremy Pruitt, against the NCAA, 247 has shared.
Pruitt filed the injunction seeking to prevent the NCAA from enforcing their six-year show cause order against Pruitt.
The former Tennessee head coach was hit with a show cause order in 2023 after a lengthy investigation found a number of NCAA rules violations that were committed while he was leading the Vols.
The order handed down this morning by DeKalb County judge Andrew Hairston prevents the NCAA from enforcing that show cause order, or in interfering with Pruitt's employment opportunities.
Attempting a number of arguments to state their case, the NCAA argued Alabama courts did not have jurisdiction over infractions matters, calling them "internal affairs and decision of athletics associations," per 247.
Back at the end of October, following a different legal battle, Jacksonville State successfully petitioned the NCAA to hire Pruitt in a unique working arrangment where he would be partially remote and not be with the team on game days to honor his NCAA suspension that was in place. Pruitt and Jacksonville State head coach Charles Kelly, who just led the Gamecocks to an impressive 8-5 finish in his first season at the helm, previously worked with each other at both Florida State and Tennessee.
Kelly and the Gamecocks had asked the NCAA's permission to hire to Pruitt earlier this year, back in June.
In allowing Pruitt's return, Jacksonville State must place "specific restrictions in areas where the COI previously concluded violations occurred," and also must "implement a robust monitoring program with shared responsibilities involving the compliance staff, head football coach, director of athletics and university president," the NCAA shared. The school will also be required to submit a report annually detailing how the school has been in compliance with the agreement and exactly what Pruitt's role is on game days in 2026, when his suspension is up.
Pruitt also filed a $100 million lawsuit back in October as well against the NCAA, stating that the NCAA penalties were keeping high-level college programs from hiring him.
NCAA attorneys attempted to have that lawsuit dismissed, arguing Alabama's jurisdiction over NCAA matters, but last week Judge Hairston denied that request, stating that "the NCAA has inserted itself into Alabama" by limiting Pruitt's ability to work for members within the state.
While this marks a unique win for Pruitt, it will be interesting to see what happens to NCAA-issues show causes issued to coaches in states outside Alabama, as this could turn out to be a landmark-type ruling.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.