Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has joined a coalition of state attorneys general challenging a new federal data collection requirement for colleges and universities, while also rejecting a proposed antitrust settlement involving Ticketmaster’s parent company.
Ford and attorneys general from 17 other states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over a recently added reporting requirement within the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The coalition argues the new data demand is unlawful and implemented too quickly for institutions to comply reliably.
According to Ford’s office, the federal government is requiring colleges and universities to provide additional data intended to track compliance with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bars the use of race as a factor in college admissions. The ruling stemmed from the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
Ford and the other attorneys general contend the education department rushed the survey changes, leaving higher education institutions vulnerable to errors, unreliable data submissions, and potential penalties or investigations tied to inaccurate reporting.
IPEDS has served as the federal government’s central higher education data system since 1986, collecting information from colleges, universities, and technical programs that participate in federal student financial aid programs. A memo issued by President Donald Trump in August directed federal agencies to use the system to monitor whether institutions continue considering race in admissions decisions.
In a separate matter, Ford is also pushing back against a proposed federal settlement in a major antitrust case involving Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced a tentative agreement in the case, which was originally filed in 2024 by federal officials and 40 states, including Nevada. The lawsuit alleges Live Nation maintained a monopoly in live entertainment by using its dominance in concert promotion and ticketing to suppress competition and influence ticket prices.
Under the proposed settlement, Live Nation would pay $280 million in civil penalties and damages to participating states. The deal would also require the company to divest certain amphitheaters, cap service fees at 15 percent at those venues, allow rival ticketing companies access to Ticketmaster’s platform, and prohibit retaliation against venues that choose other ticketing providers.
The agreement would also extend an existing consent decree governing the company’s conduct for eight additional years. Live Nation would not admit wrongdoing under the settlement.
However, more than two dozen states, including Nevada, have rejected the proposal.
Ford stated the settlement terms do not go far enough to address alleged anticompetitive practices, adding that Nevada and the other states are willing to continue pursuing the case independently if necessary.
The dispute is particularly significant for Nevada, where large venues and concerts play a major role in the state’s tourism-driven economy.
Should the federal settlement be approved by the court, the states that declined to join will continue litigating their claims. The presiding judge has directed the remaining parties to pursue further negotiations while preparing for the antitrust trial to resume.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
Leave a comment