Mississipi State quarterback Dak Prescott is suing a company for printing T-shirts bearing his name and number.

“The university believes it’s appropriate for Dak to defend himself and protect his rights as an individual,” Mississippi State communications officer Sid Salter told the Clarion-Ledger.

Prescott isn’t only defending himself against the manufacturing company, who refused to stop making the shirts at his request. The quarterback is filing suit because if he doesn’t, the NCAA could punish Prescott.

The shirts violate NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.2 which 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.

So Prescott is going through the legal process not necessarily because he wants to, but because the NCAA says he must or risk losing his eligibility. That seems like the appropriate recourse in this situation.

The Clarion-Ledger notes that numerous vendors have attempted to use the emergence of Prescott for profit according to Mississippi State football spokesperson Bill Martin and the university has been proactive all season in attempts to prevent the use of Prescott’s likeness.

It’s all just one big victory for amateurism, isn’t it?