Hagens Berman: Court Grants Final Approval to Historic Settlement in NCAA College Athlete Name, Image and Likeness Antitrust Litigation

Attorneys at Hagens Berman representing a class of nearly 400,000 college athletes celebrated the court’s granting of final approval to a historic settlement with the NCAA. In addition to $2.78 billion in past damages, the total value of new payments and benefits to college athletes under the new revenue-sharing model is expected to exceed $20 billion over the next 10 years, making it the largest antitrust class-action settlement in history.

The firm’s managing partner and co-founder Steve Berman served as court-appointed co-lead counsel in the litigation, fighting for the rights of college athletes for two decades and pioneering the firm’s sports litigation practice.

“Hagens Berman’s sports litigation attorneys have fought the NCAA’s limits to scholarships and pay since 2004 and this result — 20 years later — is a fantastic win for hundreds of thousands of college athletes,” Berman said. “We look forward to overseeing this process and watching the revenue-sharing benefits unfold for college athletes over the next 10 years.”

The antitrust class-action lawsuit against the NCAA will bring historic and previously unforeseen changes to college sports and will allow college athletes to be fairly compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) in what has become a multibillion-dollar industry.

The settlement process was thoroughly reviewed by Judge Claudia A. Wilken of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California who in the April settlement fairness hearing requested further attention to details concerning roster limits and other aspects of the settlement.

“Major changes don’t happen overnight, and we thank the court for its careful consideration of what is a monumental shift in college sports that will bring the NCAA into the modern age,” Berman said. “We hope this settlement inspires all to see the capabilities of class-action law to bring about tangible benefits and change. Not to be forgotten are the brave efforts of Sedona Prince and Grant House who were the original class representatives who stood up to take on this fight.”

The settlement resolves three pending antitrust lawsuits, House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA, and Carter v. NCAA. As part of the settlement, the NCAA and its conferences will pay more than $2.78 billion in damages to college athletes over a 10-year period, eliminate rules prohibiting schools from making direct payments to athletes, and dramatically expand the availability of compensation and benefits available to athletes. This includes eliminating restrictions on the number of available athletic scholarships across all Division I sports.

Class members in the three affected cases may find out more about the claim process by visiting the settlement website at collegeathletecompensation.com.

Find out more about the class-action lawsuit against the NCAA and its member conferences.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

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