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Dak Prescott has filed a lawsuit against a t-shirt company for using his likeness to sell clothing. The company was selling shirts that read "Dak Attack" and "Dak Dynasty."
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Photo: matthewprintcompany.com
Prescott had to take action against the company or he would potentially be committing an NCAA violation. According to the article in The Clarion-Ledger:
"The t-shirt(s) violate NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.2 Use of Student-Athlete's Name or Picture without Knowledge or Permission.The bylaw states:"If a student-athlete's name or picture appears on commercial items (e.g., T-shirts, sweatshirts, serving trays, playing cards, posters) or is used to promote a commercial product sold by an individual or agency without the student-athlete's knowledge or permission, the student-athlete (or the institution acting on behalf of the student-athlete) is required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain his or her eligibility for intercollegiate athletics."
Before the lawsuit, Prescott filed multiple cease and desist notices to the company and after those were ignored he was forced to file a lawsuit to avoid repercussions from the NCAA. Considering that the punishment for this violation would only affect Prescott's eligibility for the 2015 season, this news could be taken as a positive sign for Dak deciding to stay at MSU for his senior season.
After a spectacular junior season that saw Dak break multiple school records with his play, he would understandably be considering a move to the NFL. A large portion of MSU's offense will be returning next season and Dak absolutely has room to grow as quarterback, as was evident in his games against Alabama and Ole Miss. While he would likely be drafted and do well in the NFL next year, he would not be a first-year starter and he could build an even better resume with another collegiate season under his belt.
If Dak is going so far as to hire a lawyer (which was paid for by the NCAA's Opportunity Fund) and file a lawsuit to avoid hurting his 2015 eligibility, it's reasonable to assume that he is likely to return next season. We'll hopefully know for certain in the coming weeks whether or not he's decided to stay but this is, at the very least, a good sign that we'll be seeing Dak Prescott under center in Starkville next year.