NCAA Student-Athlete Pay to Play

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

Hagens Berman is investigating a new lawsuit against the NCAA alleging it has violated antitrust laws via its rules preventing student athletes from receiving a portion of television broadcast and other revenue produced by their labor. The Power Five Conferences alone hold contracts that will generate $20 billion in TV broadcast revenue, of which student athletes will not see a dime, and Hagens Berman believes this is a clear example of illegal wage-fixing.

WHAT IS MY PLAY WORTH?

Power Five Conferences television revenues have increased by approximately 90% in recent years and are projected to continue growing. As the profits the NCAA enjoys thanks to student athletes’ labor exponentially increase, athletes continue to receive nothing from TV broadcasts and other revenue sources. Meanwhile, the president of the NCAA made around $3 million in 2022. Athletes in other leagues, like the NFL and the NBA, regularly receive a 40-50% cut of revenue, which is payment for their name, image and likeness and their performance.

Our sports litigation legal team handling this investigation includes former pro and NCAA athletes who understand the dedication and drive it takes to succeed at the highest levels.

LEGAL ACTION VS. THE NCAA

The NCAA defended these allegedly anticompetitive restrictions on athlete pay in the name of “amateurism.” But this argument has been steadily eroded by Hagens Berman’s recent legal victories against the NCAA. In 2014, Hagens Berman achieved groundbreaking settlements that marked the first time the NCAA paid student athletes for rights related to their play on the field, compensating them for their contribution to the profit-making nature of college sports. In 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed, after hearing arguments from Hagens Berman, that NCAA college athletes should legally be able to receive compensation from schools or conferences for athletic services other than cash compensation untethered to education-related expenses.

YOUR RIGHTS AS A COLLEGE ATHLETE

Hagens Berman believes student athletes deserve more from the NCAA, which makes billions of dollars off athletes’ hard work and achievements. College athletes are subjected to high medical bills, rigorous schedules, grueling competitions, and we think those affected by the NCAA's restrictive regulations should receive the compensation they are justly owed. Justice Kavanaugh stated, “The NCAA is not above the law,” and we believe the NCAA does not have legal standing to continue restricting college athletes from receiving shares of television broadcast and other revenue. We want to hold the NCAA accountable for you, your teammates and future college athletes.

TOP COLLEGE ATHLETE LAW FIRM

Hagens Berman has a proven track record of successfully bringing lawsuits against the NCAA on behalf of college athletes, and our cases cover a range of injustices faced by NCAA players across all sports:

• $208 million settlement against the NCAA concerning antitrust-related student scholarship limits
• $60 million in combined settlements against Electronic Arts and the NCAA regarding player likeness rights in videogames
• $75 million settlement value regarding concussions and safety protocols
• Class certification in a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s rules restricting athletes’ compensation for use of their name, likeness and image

NO COST TO YOU

There is no out-of-pocket cost or fee to join cases, file cases or sign up to benefit from settlements or lawsuits. In the event Hagens Berman or any other firm obtains any settlement that provides benefits to class members, the court will determine and award reasonable fees and costs to the class’s legal team, which never comes from the portion allotted to class members.