National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian
488 U.S. 179 · Decided December 12, 1988 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian was decided on December 12, 1988 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Due process, hearing for government employees” in the Due Process area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 488 U.S. 179 · 109 S. Ct. 454 · 102 L. Ed. 2d 469 · 1988 U.S. LEXIS 5613
- Docket number
- 87-1061
- Decided
- December 12, 1988
- Argued
- October 5, 1988
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Due process, hearing for government employees
- Issue area
- Due Process
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Dissent | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority |
Full case caption
National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Jerry Tarkanian
SCDB identifiers: case 1988-012, docket 1988-012-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Due process, hearing for government employees”
- Cornelius v. Nutt
- Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill
- James E. Gilbert v. Richard Homar
- Janice R. Lachance v. Lester E. Erickson, Jr.
- Codd v. Velger
- Bishop v. Wood
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Arizona v. Youngblood
- Deshaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services
- Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
- Michael H. v. Gerald D.
- Carella v. California
- Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
Same Term, same area (Due Process)
- Arizona v. Youngblood
- Duquesne Light Co. v. Barasch
- Kentucky Department of Corrections v. Thompson
- Michael H. v. Gerald D.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error