NCAA Calls $1.3 Billion Antitrust Lawsuit Speculative

According to Reuters, the NCAA has requested that a US judge prevent student-athletes from pursuing a class action lawsuit to obtain over $1.3 billion for the use of their names and images in televised broadcasts.

In a recent court filing in California, the NCAA stated that the plaintiffs did not meet certain legal requirements necessary for a class action lawsuit in regard US intercollegiate athletics.

The NCAA contended that the distribution of damages among the plaintiffs was illegal, as it showed a preference for male athletes over female ones.

Read more: NCAA May Face Up To $1.4 Billion In Damages Claim In Athlete Suit

In a statement, the NCAA said the plaintiffs’ claims for “billions of dollars in damages” do not have “legal or factual support.” The statement also said, “there is no basis for requesting over $1 billion dollars in damages for male student-athletes and just $50 million for women.”

For a long time, lawyers representing plaintiffs have contested regulations that prevented college athletes from receiving payment. In 2021, the NCAA eased restrictions, allowing players to benefit from their “name, image, and likeness” by making agreements with corporations and other third parties.

The NCAA is currently involved in a case where they are opposing an order that would compel them to pay athletes from revenue sources, such as television broadcasts. The NCAA’s lawyers argue that seeking damages from broadcasts is “speculative and unsupported.”