College Football & Basketball Families to be Reimbursed for Travel Expenses

Following the trend of sharing broadcast and other revenues with college athletes, the NCAA and College Football Playoff announced they would help athletes’ families with the cost of attending championship games.

CFP is an independent body overseeing college football subject to NCAA rules. Just after being granted a waiver allowing it to reimburse families for travel, the CFP announced it would provide up to $2,500 to parents or guardians attending Monday’s championship game in Arlington Texas. Reimbursement is capped at $1,250 per parent or guardian …

December 27, 2014 Concussions / NCAA

NCAA Concussion Settlement Denied

On Wednesday, December 17, federal Judge John Lee denied preliminary approval of the proposed concussion settlement between the NCAA and the class of current and former NCAA athletes.

The settlement was submitted at the end of July and proposes $70 million to fund medical monitoring and testing of injured athletes. The deal also sets aside $5 million for concussion-related research. The judge denied the settlement, however, taking issue with several aspects of the deal. The judge expressed concern that $70 million simply would not be …

December 10, 2014 Litigation / NCAA

Minimum Wage Lawsuits Strike At the Core of Major Junior Hockey and Minor League Baseball

Many would argue that minor league baseball is the quintessential American sporting experience – playing for the love of the game in small towns throughout the country, dreaming of the big leagues, or playing out the string. Similarly, nothing may be more distinctively Canadian than major junior hockey – the primary breeding ground for future NHLers for generations and the pride of Canadian communities from Cape Breton to Victoria. The two share more than long bus rides and long odds. They both are the subject …

November 5, 2014 Concussions / NCAA

Concussion Class Action Suit Filed Against the NCAA by Former Texas Football Player

On Monday, October 27, a former Texas Longhorn football player filed a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA for failing to warn and protect student-athletes regarding the long-term effects of concussions and impacts to the head sustained during football games.

The lead plaintiff, Julius Whittier, was an offensive lineman for the Longhorns from 1969-72. Whittier allegedly sustained several severe hits to the head throughout his career there. The former player, now 64 years old, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in August of 2012. He …

October 26, 2014 NCAA

Plaintiffs’ Lawyers for O’Bannon Case Billing NCAA for over $50M

Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the O’Bannon case have filed an amended billing filing on October 22 to seek approximately $50 million in attorneys’ fees and other related costs.

The filing is a revision of what the lawyers filed back in August pursuant to U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken’s decision that the plaintiffs “shall recover their costs from the NCAA.” You can get more information regarding that by Clicking Here. The original request that totaled more than $52.4 million was filed within 14 …

October 26, 2014 Litigation / NCAA

NCAA & Division I Schools are Named in FLSA Lawsuit

On Monday, October 20, the NCAA and all of its member schools were named defendants in an FLSA action alleging violations for failure to pay employees the federal minimum wage. The plaintiff in this action is yet another former student-athlete seeking compensation for participating in NCAA athletics.

Samantha Sackos attended the University of Houston and played for the Division I women’s soccer team. Sackos brought this suit, naming the NCAA and each Div. I school, alleging the schools’ refusal to pay student-athletes under the …

October 24, 2014 Contract / NCAA

What’s Next, Civil Litigation Against Sports Memorabilia Dealers for Improper Dealings with College-Athletes?

Your favorite college football team loses its star quarterback or running back due to a suspension for NCAA violations related to compensation received from a sports memorabilia dealer for autographing multiple items that the dealer sells. The college suffers damage in the form of potential lost ticket sales, merchandising, bowl revenue, and negative publicity. Does the university have any recourse against the dealer who stands outside the reach of NCAA oversight but who profits from the offending transactions?

NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.1 prohibits student-athletes from accepting …

October 21, 2014 Legislation / NCAA

Sports Leagues and NCAA Challenge Christie’s Sports Bill

Four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA (collectively the “leagues”) responded to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s partial repeal of New Jersey’s ban on sports betting. The leagues filed a federal lawsuit on Monday seeking a temporary injunction on sports betting in New Jersey. The state’s first sports bet is scheduled for Sunday at Monmouth Park racetrack, where ten tellers will be taking bets on the NFL.

The leagues argue that Governor Christie’s sports betting bill accomplishes

“what it unsuccessfully attempted to do

October 9, 2014 Legislation / NCAA

NCAA Fights PA Law to Spread Penn State’s Sandusky Fine Nationwide

On Monday, October 6, the NCAA filed a motion in federal court, asking to have a newly enacted Pennsylvania law, which manipulates the Penn State Sandusky fine, invalidated as it is unconstitutional.

The NCAA’s motion is directed at the Institution of Higher Education Monetary Penalty Endowment Act, which was enacted in 2013 in response to a fine levied against Penn State University. In 2012, the NCAA and Penn State agreed to a Consent Decree penalizing the university for the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. …

October 8, 2014 NCAA

Court Nixes NCAA-PSU’s Attempt to Dismiss Lawsuit over $60M Fine

A Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court denied the NCAA’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by state Senator Jake Corman and Treasurer Rob McCord. The suit is seeking to enforce the 2012 Higher Education Monetary Penalty Endowment Act (the “Act”) on the $60 million fine imposed on Penn State (“PSU”). In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal, the NCAA in 2012 imposed the penalty as part of a consent decree. Under the Act, the NCAA fine must be used to prevent child sexual abuse …