Pittman’s Pocket: NCAA Dodges Antitrust Battle with Brian Pittman

The NCAA has been embroiled in various legal battles, but one significant case they managed to avoid was an antitrust lawsuit brought by Brian Pittman.

This antitrust case unfolded in Tampa, FL, between 2020 and 2023, with Plaintiff Mr. Pittman accusing the NCAA and Defendant Adam Morrissey of violating antitrust laws related to football recruiting.

During the years 2016-2018, Mr. Pittman operated a legitimate recruiting service under the LLC, Junior College Phenoms, which successfully assisted over 120 student-athletes across North America. Despite his efforts, Mr. Pittman raised concerns in multiple emails to the NCAA and Adam Morrissey, who oversaw the Recruiting Service Certification Office. He alleged that college coaches were exploiting recruiting services for financial gain, with compensation structures ranging from $300 to $1,000 per school, all while disregarding NCAA recruiting policies for payment processing.

The NCAA acknowledged the irregularities Mr. Pittman highlighted but failed to take corrective action. As a result, Mr. Pittman initiated a class-action lawsuit on February 25, 2020. The case was overseen by Judge Caroline Tesche Arkin in the 13th District, Division K. After a year and four months, a pre-trial was set in motion, despite Mr. Pittman’s attempt to have Judge Arkin recused—a motion ultimately denied by the Chief Judge and a panel of judges. The case officially proceeded on April 16, 2021, with the NCAA represented by Attorney Marty Burke.

Stay tuned for the continuation of this story in my next article. In the meantime, I encourage you to look up Brian Pittman v. Adam Morrissey/NCAA for more background before the next installment.