NCAA Writes Another Letter to Court; Urges Refusal of Employee Status to Division I Players

On April 17, 2018, counsel for the NCAA submitted another letter to the Ninth Circuit, contending that a recent ruling should bear weight on the court’s ultimate decision whether to consider Division I athletes as employees. The NCAA has been entangled in a suit with former football player, Lamar Dawson, who alleges that the NCAA violated California law and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in its refusal to pay student athletes minimum wage or overtime. As we have recently reported, the NCAA first …

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NFL Painkiller Lawsuit Appealed to Ninth Circuit

On February 23, 2018, former NFL players filed an appellate brief with the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in which the players argued that their suit against all 32 NFL teams should not have been dismissed on the grounds that it was time-barred. According to the players, they became aware in early 2014 that NFL teams recklessly administered painkillers, which prematurely ended their professional playing careers and contributed to their diminished post-career prospects. According to their brief, the district court’s decision should be vacated …

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O’Bannon Attorneys Attempt to Cash In with the Ninth Circuit

On February 16, 2017, attorneys for the student-athletes in the infamous O’Bannon case argued in front of the Ninth Circuit that they are entitled to over $42 million in attorney’s fees. The attorney’s obtained an injunction from the district court that the NCAA could not cap student-athlete aid packages at below the full cost of attendance, and that student-athletes could receive up to $5,000 per year in cash payments for use of their name, image, and likeness. However, the appellate court reversed the district court’s …

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PGA Tour Tells Ninth Circuit that Caddies Appeal in Human Billboard Case Does Not Make the Cut

On July 15, 2016, the PGA Tour filed a brief with the Ninth Circuit arguing that the trial court was correct when it dismissed a lawsuit brought by PGA Tour caddies. Previously, a California federal court tossed the proposed class action lawsuit by the caddies claiming that by forcing the caddies to wear bibs of the PGA Tour sponsors they are covering clothing on their chests and treating them like human billboards which is an abuse of power. The Trial court dismissed the suit and …

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