Tennessee reportedly hired a big gun to stand up to the NCAA well before everything exploded in late January
It seems the University of Tennessee knew the fight that was coming well in advance. And they perhaps acquired the right weapon for that fight. According to Adam Sparks of KnoxNews.com, the university hired attorney William "Bill" Burck back in early December to represent the school's interests in the escalating investigation by the NCAA which […]
It seems the University of Tennessee knew the fight that was coming well in advance. And they perhaps acquired the right weapon for that fight.
According to Adam Sparks of KnoxNews.com, the university hired attorney William "Bill" Burck back in early December to represent the school's interests in the escalating investigation by the NCAA which has reportedly centered around the recruitment of Tennessee starting QB Nico Iamaleava.
Per Sparks, UT general counsel signed a representation agreement with Burck's firm on December 4, well before the pending investigation was first made public by SI.
The timing is noteworthy because, per Sparks, Tennessee reportedly tried on December 15 and 18 to meet with NCAA president Charlie Baker, which efforts UT Chancellor Donde Plowman noted in her letter dated January 29. Baker's reps reportedly played dumb in response to Tennessee about what it was about, also noting Baker's alleged scheduling conflicts even though UT leadership would have apparently settled for a Zoom meeting.
Regardless, the university seemed to know what was coming, and rather than choose the usual attorneys with experience in NCAA investigations, procedures, and hearings like they have done previously, they went for a big hitter. Someone who's not afraid of the spotlight, having represented big name clients like Robert Kraft and FIFA and served as counsel to President George W. Bush.
And that's because this obviously isn't going to be a fight that ends up in front of an NCAA hearing officer. If the NCAA is ALLOWED to proceed with their investigation into Tennessee – which depends largely on whether the states of Tennessee and Virginia obtain injunctive relief on February 13 in their lawsuit against the NCAA – then it's possible that the school will need to file for legal action in order to protect themselves and their players – particularly Iamaleava – from possible disqualification or other penalties levied on the school from the NCAA's probe.
And that defense will take attorneys who have experience above the level of playing the NCAA's legal and procedural games in their own fiefdom with their hearings and hearing officers. It will take someone with the juice and reputation to give the NCAA a fight in court on another front.
Tennessee tried to make in clear in mid-December to Baker that they weren't messing around when they claimed they hadn't done anything wrong. Now, the NCAA will assuredly have to go through another legal mess if they want to continue to try to drag the flagship university of the Volunteer State into the mud.
Perhaps Baker should have ended up taking that Zoom call after all.
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