Ed O’Bannon plaintiffs ask Supreme Court to hear NCAA case
The plaintiffs in the antitrust lawsuit spearheaded by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon against the NCAA have asked the Supreme Court to review the case, according toUSA Today.
The class-action lawsuit is based on a claim by O’Bannon that the NCAA was violating antitrust laws by restricting student-athletes’ ability to generate revenue off their own names, images and likenesses.
U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that FBS football players and Division I college basketball players should be paid for the use of their images on television and in video games, with schools and conferences putting funds in a trust that athletes could access once their eligibility expired. The NCAA could put a cap on these funds, but it could not be less than $5,000.
However, the Ninth Court of Appeals overturned the decision to provide deferred compensation, despite ruling that the NCAA’s policies do violate antitrust laws.
• Report: Average payout in EA/NCAA lawsuit around $1,200
“The Ninth Circuit would put an unlawful straitjacket on federal judicial authority and create a standard for antitrust remedies that is at odds with decisions of this Court and other circuits,” the plaintiffs wrote in the filing delivered Tuesday.
It's not clear if the Supreme Court will hear the plaintiffs' appeal, as appeals rarely reach the nation’s highest court.
