Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned the NFL this week that its Rooney Rule and related diversity hiring policies may violate state law, escalating a broader push against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

In a March 25 letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell, Uthmeier said the Rooney Rule conflicts with the Florida Civil Rights Act by requiring teams to consider race, sex, or other protected characteristics in hiring decisions. He gave the league until May 1, 2026, to confirm it will stop applying those policies to teams in Florida or risk a civil rights enforcement action.

The Rooney Rule, first adopted in 2003 and later expanded, requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for key positions, including head coach, general manager, and coordinator roles. Current guidelines mandate at least two minority candidates for top jobs and one for certain assistant and executive positions.

Uthmeier argued those requirements amount to unlawful classification of applicants, stating they “limit, segregate, and classify” candidates based on race and sex. In public remarks, he said teams and fans prioritize performance over identity and called for a merit-based system.

The attorney general also challenged additional NFL initiatives, including programs that award compensatory draft picks to teams that develop minority coaches or executives who are later hired elsewhere, as well as efforts aimed at expanding hiring pipelines.

The NFL has maintained that the Rooney Rule is designed to increase opportunity rather than impose hiring quotas, describing it as a tool to broaden access to leadership roles across the league.

The dispute places the NFL at the center of Florida’s wider effort to confront DEI policies beyond the government and education sectors. Uthmeier’s office said the warning was sent not only to league leadership but also to owners of Florida’s three franchises: the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The timing adds pressure on the league, which is already reviewing its hiring practices after a recent cycle in which only one minority candidate was hired for a head coaching position. Critics have argued that some required interviews have become procedural rather than substantive.

Legal scrutiny has also intensified following a discrimination lawsuit filed by former coach Brian Flores against the NFL and several teams. A federal judge ruled earlier this year that key parts of the case can proceed in court, keeping questions about hiring practices in the public spotlight.

The NFL has not publicly responded to the letter, leaving open whether it will defend the Rooney Rule as written or revise its policies ahead of Florida’s deadline.