Years of fighting losing battles have left the NCAA almost helpless to defend itself.

The legal pile-on against the largest governing body for college sports in the United States continued Wednesday when attorneys general from Tennessee and Virginia filed an antitrust lawsuit that seeks to throw out the few rules the NCAA has to regulate how athletes can be compensated for name, image and likeness.

That pushes the number of antitrust lawsuits the NCAA is actively defending to at least five.

Denial and previous court losses — most notably a unanimous decision against the NCAA from the Supreme Court in 2021 — have flung the doors open to legal scrutiny the NCAA and so-called collegiate sports model cannot withstand.

“The NCAA and (schools) that make up the NCAA have continuously been completely stubborn,” Florida-based sports attorney Darren Heitner said. “They have resisted change. They understand that there’s been an absolute misclassification of athletes as, quote unquote, student-athletes as opposed to employees, and they’ve continuously placed very, very stringent restrictions on the capacity for athletes to capitalize and earn money.”

Three of the current lawsuits seek employment status for college athletes or are trying to direct more of the billions of dollars big-time college football and basketball to the ones who play those sports.

Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Sports, said the NCAA’s insistence of trying to govern major college football while it has no jurisdiction over its postseason and no say in how the billions in revenue it generates are spent is the root of most of the association’s problems.

“Big revenue football operates in many ways independently from the NCAA, and the NCAA serves as its legal shield,” Perko said.

The latest threats to the NCAA have originated from inside the house.

The move Wednesday by the state AGs echoed what has played out in the past two months with a multistate challenge to NCAA transfer rules.

Overall, the response from Tennessee has become typical from schools that either end up in NCAA’s enforcement crosshairs or do not receive the result they want when dealing with the beleaguered association: Attack the NCAA’s credibility. Blame it for creating an unmanageable situation. And maybe sue.

Coaches and administrators have lamented loosened transfers rules and unregulated NIL for the past two years, calling for the NCAA — which only acts upon the membership’s wishes — to rein it in.

“This legal action would exacerbate what our members themselves have frequently described as a “wild west” atmosphere, further tilting competitive imbalance among schools in neighboring states, and diminishing protections for student-athletes from potential exploitation,” the NCAA said in response to Wednesday’s lawsuit.

For a public figure, taking a stand against the NCAA is always a winning position.

“College sports wouldn’t exist without college athletes, and those students shouldn’t be left behind while everybody else involved prospers,” Tennessee attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti said. “The NCAA’s restraints on prospective students’ ability to meaningfully negotiate NIL deals violate federal antitrust law. Only Congress has the power to impose such limits.”

College sports leaders have been lobbying federal lawmakers for going on five years, since even before the NCAA lifted its ban on athletes cashing in on their fame.

Among the biggest reasons the university presidents who sit at the top of the NCAA’s org chart hired former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to be its president was his political savvy.

The NCAA’s initial ask of Congress under former President Mark Emmert was for help regulating NIL. Now, that’s almost a side issue. What the NCAA needs is an antitrust exemption that will actually allow it to govern college sports without risk of being sued into oblivion.

Lawmakers have not been in a rush to help. Baker is trying to be proactive, pushing NCAA membership to make radical changes — some that could steer the big-time revenue generating sports closer to professionalism.

“Of course, we need some help from Congress to make this work,” Baker said this month at the NCAA convention in Phoenix. “The answer is: Yes, I know that, but I also believe that it’s important for us to give Congress some idea about what something might look like if they were to choose to support us.”

Mounting legal pressure leads to speculation about whether the NCAA can remain viable at all. Especially, as it risks alienating schools such as Tennessee and others in the power conferences that might be just fine without it.

“For the people who say the NCAA is destined to fail, they’re doomed. Well, it’s easy to say on the outside, but if the schools and their presidents and chancellors wish to remain part of it, and Tennessee is the only disgruntled one, let Tennessee fight the battle. We’re not getting involved,” Heitner said.

It doesn’t appear Tennessee is leading a revolution against the NCAA, but it is chipping away at an already shaky foundation.

When Nick Saban retired at Alabama two weeks ago, the chain reaction it set off caused five more head coaching changes across major college football in a little more than a week.

Now Michigan, the winningest program in college football history and the defending national champion, is in the market for a coach after Jim Harbaugh decided Wednesday to go back to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Michigan is the type of job that could set off another wave of moves, but the chances of that happening seem far less likely.

The Wolverines might very well have their man already on campus in offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore.

“We are working quickly to hire the next head coach for the program and will do everything possible to keep this current staff and team together,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a telling statement.

With Harbaugh serving two separate suspensions this past season for potential NCAA rules violations, Michigan went 4-0 with Moore leading the team on game days. And those weren’t just any games. Moore was in charge when Michigan won at Penn State and against Ohio State to win the Big Ten East.

“We’ve already seen it, right? You’ve already got a glimpse of the shining star that he is,” Harbaugh said about Moore during the leadup to the national championship game against Washington earlier this month. “He’s just phenomenal, so smart, works so hard at it.”

The 37-year-old Moore has never been a head coach. He joined Harbaugh’s staff in 2018 as tight ends coach on the recommendation of Dan Enos, who spent about six weeks after the 2017 season as a member of Harbaugh’s staff before bouncing to Alabama for another gig.

Moore quickly won over Harbaugh.

“First time we sit down, we meet each other,” Harbaugh recalled. “And then I asked him, just show me your technique of a zone block and a gap block for a tight end. And he jumped up and just started demonstrating and went through this teaching progression that was, boom, one, two, three, four, and memorable, learnable. But first time I met him I was blown away. Knocked my socks off.”

In 2021, the year Michigan bounced back from a terrible pandemic-shortened season that almost cost Harbaugh his job, Moore was promoted to offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator.

Michigan’s offensive line has been one of the best in the country since, the driving force behind a team that won three straight Big Ten titles and three games in a row against rival Ohio State.

Moore might seem to be the obvious choice, but Michigan — similar to Alabama — could tempt just about any coach in the country if it chooses to look outside.

For weeks while Kalen DeBoer led Washington to the national championship game and contract extension talks were tabled, there was speculation the South Dakota native would be an appealing possible replacement for Harbaugh. DeBoer, instead, became Saban’s replacement at Alabama.

Jedd Fisch, who went from Arizona to Washington to replace DeBoer, might have been an interesting candidate for Michigan, too. Fisch worked for Harbaugh in 2015 and ’16 and just pulled off a remarkable rebuild in three seasons at Arizona.

But those moves also showed why it might be best for Michigan to stay in-house. A coaching change triggers the opening of a 30-day transfer portal window for players at the school with the vacancy.

Alabama, Washington and Arizona have all had key players jump in the portal as new staffs scramble to hold together rosters at a time when it is difficult to find quality replacements.

Keeping Moore and other members of the current staff, such as running backs coach Mike Hart and tight ends coach Grant Newsome, both former Michigan players, could help the Wolverines retain a roster that features numerous key contributors to the national-title run like star cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackles Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham.

Michigan has had success with in-house hires before. The program’s last national championship team in 1997 was coached by Lloyd Carr, a longtime assistant in Ann Arbor under Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller.

“So Sherrone Moore, shining star,” Harbaugh said. “No doubt about it. It doesn’t even matter what anybody says. It’s what you do.”

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is expected to testify in front of a Senate committee next week during the 10th hearing on Capitol Hill over the last three years on college sports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it has scheduled a hearing on Name, Image and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports for next Tuesday.

Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts, took over as NCAA president in March and has been spending a lot of time in Washington lobbying lawmakers to help college sports with a federal law to regulate how athletes can be compensated for their fame.

Several bills have been introduced by federal lawmakers lately, including two bipartisan efforts from the Senate, but still there has been little movement toward serious action on an issue that has been a topic of conversation since the summer of 2020.

“I do get worried about Congress micromanaging the rules of endorsement deals or transfer portals or compensation,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told members of the athletic directors’ association LEAD1 last month at a gathering in Washington.

Baker is expected to be joined next week by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.

While college sports leaders have repeatedly said federal intervention that prevents college athletes from being deemed employees is the best solution for NIL, the NCAA is working on finally passing its own detailed rules.

The NCAA Division I Council last week introduced several proposals to bring transparency to NIL transactions and oversight of those who want to work with students. They could be voted on as soon as January and a working group is still discussing more ways to regulate NIL payments to athletes.