Oh hell yeah, the Ole Miss NCAA scandal now involves a state rivalry lawsuit

It’s not really a college football story until there’s a lawsuit that crosses state rivalry lines, meaning Ole Miss’ NCAA thing has finally arrived.

Rebel Rags, an Oxford-based retail clothing store specializing in Ole Miss gear, has filed a lawsuit against Mississippi State [players] Leo Lewis and Kobe Jones, and Lindsey Miller in Lafayette County Circuit Court.

Charlie Merkel, one of the attorneys representing Rebel Rags, confirmed the suit was filed Friday afternoon and the servicing process was completed Sunday. Mississippi State had no comment on the situation.

Merkel said Rebel Rags is suing those three for “defamation, slander, conspiracy and commercial disparagement stemming from false statements made to the NCAA and have since been published in the (university’s response to the) notice of allegations.”

At issue: A claim that former defensive line coach Chris Kiffin and former staffer Barney Farrar set up $2,800 worth of impermissible benefits for players by way of Rebel Rags. The NCAA describes the store as “Booster 8,” placing it among a list of parties providing players with benefits.

You might recall Lewis’ name. He’s the former Ole Miss commit whose gleeful subtweet on the school’s NCAA allegations eventually made its way into the Rebels’ response. The NCAA granted a rival limited immunity to make allegations against Ole Miss and then celebrate the whole thing online, which the Rebels take issue with.

Lewis testifying in court could be an interesting time for all.

Here’s what would have to happen for this to amount to actual legal trouble, via SI:

In order to prevail in a defamation lawsuit, Rebel Rags will need to prove that the defendants made relatively specific statements about the store that were factual-sounding. Statements asserting that recruits received free merchandise from Rebel Rags on specific dates and for certain values would, if untrue, likely embody defamatory remarks. In contrast, statements that are more accurately viewed as opinions or subjective depictions are less likely to be viewed by a court as defamatory. A description of a booster’s attitude or motivations would, for instance, probably not count as defamatory since it can’t be proven or disproven.

Ole Miss itself has tried to drag MSU into this whole thing at least twice, requesting an interview of Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen and reportedly sending the SEC a recording of Lewis’ mother claiming to have taken money.