Federal Judge Tanya Walton Pratt denied the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) bid for a temporary restraining order to stop DraftKings from using trademarks related to their basketball tournaments.
Judge Sides with DraftKings
The NCAA recently filed a complaint requesting a federal court to prevent DraftKings from using March Madness, Final Four, Elite Eight, and other associated terms during the 2026 college basketball tournaments.
For over five years, DraftKings has legally utilized these famous terms to describe the NCAA Tournament. Judge Pratt concluded that the NCAA failed to demonstrate irreparable harm due to DraftKings’ ongoing use of its trademarks.
Timing significantly influenced the decision, with the court highlighting DraftKings’ over five-year usage of these terms, undermining the NCAA’s urgency claims. This delay in action weakened the association’s request for immediate intervention, challenging their legal stance at this time.
While the judge’s decision does not dismiss the NCAA’s broader claims, Judge Pratt acknowledged the organization might succeed on the merits of its trademark case as it progresses. The ruling allows DraftKings to continue using the terms for now, though the ultimate outcome could potentially favor the NCAA.
The case is ongoing in the Southern District of Indiana, where the NCAA is preparing to proceed with its claims through discovery and possibly a jury trial. Meanwhile, DraftKings can continue using the disputed terms throughout the 2026 tournaments.
How Did DraftKings Respond?
In an earlier response following the NCAA’s complaint, DraftKings described the contested terms as “universally recognized names for the tournaments and their rounds, utilized by millions of college basketball fans, journalists, and participants in the sports-betting ecosystem.” The company noted that these terms are also used by other online sportsbooks, none of which are mentioned in the NCAA’s complaint.
DraftKings criticized the NCAA’s petition for a restraining order, labeling it as a “contrived and manufactured ‘emergency.’” They also mentioned that the NCAA has a commercial relationship with a company supplying in-game data to sportsbooks.
In other recent developments, DraftKings introduced DK Replay, a new product initially available in Oregon. This offering is promoted as an exciting innovation for MLB betting enthusiasts.
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- Source: SCCGManagement.com