Judge Denies NCAA’s Request to Block DraftKings’ Use of March Madness Trademarks

Federal Judge Tanya Walton Pratt rejected the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) request for a temporary restraining order aimed at preventing DraftKings from using trademarks tied to the former’s basketball tournaments.

Judge Sides with DraftKings

Last week, the NCAA filed a complaint that asked a federal court to make DraftKings stop using March Madness, Final Four, Elite Eight, and other terms during the 2026 college basketball tournaments.

DraftKings has used various well-known terms to describe the NCAA Tournament for over five years and is legally permitted to continue doing so. Judge Pratt ruled that the NCAA had not adequately shown that it would face irreparable harm from DraftKings’ continued use of its trademarks.

Timing played a key role in the decision as the court noted that DraftKings has been using the disputed terms for more than five years. This factor undercuts the NCAA’s assertion of urgency. According to the court, this delay in taking action weakened the case for immediate intervention, posing a significant hurdle for the association’s legal challenge at this stage.

It should be noted, however, that the judge’s ruling did not dismiss the NCAA’s broader claims. However, Judge Pratt noted that the organization could still prevail on the merits of its trademark case as the litigation progresses. The decision means that while DraftKings can continue using the terms for now, the outcome could still favor the NCAA in the long run.

The case remains active in the Southern District of Indiana, where the NCAA is now preparing to advance its claims through discovery and potentially a jury trial. But DraftKings will retain the ability to use the contentious terms for the remainder of the 2026 tournaments.

How Did DraftKings Respond?

In an earlier statement, presented then the NCAA first filed its complaint, DraftKings characterized the disputed terms as “the universally recognized names for the tournaments and their rounds, used by millions of college basketball fans, journalists, and participants in the sports-betting ecosystem.” The company added that these are the same terms employed by other online sportsbooks, none of which have been targeted by the NCAA’s complaint.

DraftKings further criticized the NCAA’s request for a restraining order, saying it is based on a “contrived and manufactured ‘emergency.’” DraftKings further pointed out that the NCAA maintains a commercial relationship with a firm that provides in-game data to sportsbooks.

In other recent news regarding DraftKings, the company recently launched a new product, DK Replay, initially available in Oregon. DraftKings heralds their new offering as an exciting and innovative way for MLB fans to experience betting.