Lawyers for the NCAA fired back against the state of Tennessee in a late afternoon filing Feb. 3, saying any temporary restraining order tied to name, image and likeness rules would “invite chaos” into college sports.

The restraining order sought by the states of Tennessee and Virginia would pause enforcement of various NCAA rules governing NIL benefits for college athletes until a federal judge hears arguments Feb. 13 over whether to freeze enforcement while the court considers the challenge to the NCAA rules.

Tennessee and Virginia asked for a temporary restraining order by Feb. 6, the day before the Division I football regular signing period during which recruits can sign a letter of intent with a university. There was also an early signing period in December.

In Saturday’s filing, the NCAA argued the request should be denied for a list of legal reasons – including the state’s failure to prove there would be irreparable harm if a restraining order wasn’t granted – but ended by saying such a change, even temporary, would be too drastic.

"There is no reason to upend this process, invite chaos on a moment’s notice, and transform college sports into an environment where players and schools match up based primarily on the dollars that can change hands,” NCAA lawyers said in Saturday’s filing.

“Requests for radical change require sound deliberation. They benefit from a complete record and fulsome consideration. The court should deny plaintiffs’ late-breaking and ill-conceived request for injunctive relief."

The ambiguity of the NCAA rules for NIL deals are at the heart of the state’s lawsuit and the catalyst for the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the University of Tennessee broke rules involving NIL of athletes.

The suit and the investigation are not directly linked. But Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti mentions the UT investigation as an example of the “unlawful restriction” of the NCAA's NIL policy, and his lawsuit immediately drew support from Gov. Bill Lee and other state officials.

TENNESSEE NIL INVESTIGATION: ‘What Volunteers always do’: Donde Plowman lauds Tennesseans in push to repel NCAA

The judge's decision whether to grant a temporary restraining order does not guarantee the same decision for a longer lived pause as the case is decided.

The state of Tennessee has until 6 p.m. EST Sunday to respond to the NCAA’s response.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tyler_whetstone.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: NCAA fires back against Tennessee over NIL lawsuit restraining order