On Thursday, August 14, the O’Bannon plaintiffs and the NCAA filed a joint submission to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California seeking clarification of Judge Claudia Wilken’s injunction on the NCAA’s ban of player compensation.
The two parties to the lawsuit have come to an agreement over when the injunction should take place. Judge Wilken’s original ruling left the results somewhat ambiguous, and the current joint submission was submitted to clarify. The parties’ submitted a proposed order designating the injunction to take effect on the first day of next year’s football and basketball recruitment cycle, August 1. Thus, offer letters can be sent to prospective students enrolling after July1, 2016.
The NCAA’s first proposed order requested that the injunction be put in place for any student enrolled previous to the 2016-2017 school season, excluding current student athletes from the new possibility of receiving compensation. The plaintiffs’ response attacked the position for excluding current students operating under renewable scholarship or multi-year scholarships. Plaintiffs then offered terms amicable to both sides which essentially allows for offers to current students as of the effective date of the injunction, August 1, 2015.
The parties submitted their proposed order to clarify the original ruling and now await Judge Wilken’s acceptance or denial of the terms.
NCAA, O’Bannon plaintiffs: Make new benefits start in 2016-17