Florida targets NFL's 'Rooney Rule' promoting minority coaches
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida is preparing to throw a challenge flag at the NFL’s longstanding “Rooney Rule” — meant to bolster the number of minority coaches and top executives in the league — as part of the state’s opposition to diversity hiring practices.
State Attorney General James Uthmeier warned NFL officials Wednesday that the Rooney Rule and other similar hiring policies are “illegal” under Florida’s civil rights laws. In a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier pressed the NFL to confirm by May 1 it would no longer enforce its policies requiring teams to interview minority candidates, including women, or else the state could take “civil rights enforcement action.”
“NFL teams and their fans don’t care about the race of the coaching staff,” Uthmeier said Wednesday in a social media post. “They want a merit-based system that gives their team the best chance to win.”
The move by Uthmeier aligns with ongoing attempts by Florida’s conservative leaders to rid the state of diversity, equity and inclusion-aligned policies, from public schools to colleges and now even local governments. But taking on the NFL, which prides itself on diversity programs like the Rooney Rule, would be a significant escalation of that fight.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/25/florida-nfl-rooney-rule-00845217
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