United States district judge dismisses Houston Nutt’s case against Ole Miss

Biggers wrote that Nutt’s claims of defamation of character did not violate any federal laws, but instead state laws, meaning Nutt would have to re-file his suit in state court.

A USA district judge has granted a request by Ole Miss and its athletics foundation to dismiss the lawsuit filed by former Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt and his attorney, Thomas Mars.

According to Schlabach, Ole Miss officials are scheduled to appear in front of the NCAA Infractions Committee on September 11 to address a charge of lack of institutional control stemming from Freeze’s conduct. The lawsuit stemmed from the fact that Nutt claimed the school violated the agreement when Ole Miss spoke off the record with reporters about an NCAA investigation into the football program, implying that most of the violations had occurred during Nutt’s tenure.

The order to dismiss says that the federal courts have no jurisdiction in the case.

The NCAA sent Ole Miss a notice of allegations in January 2016 and an amended version in February 2017, which includes 21 alleged violations of NCAA rules.

On July 24, ESPN reported that Steve Robertson, a recruiting writer for a website that covers Mississippi State sports, discovered the phone call that Freeze made to an escort service that led to his abrupt resignation.