Current Football Players Join NCAA Lawsuit
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Joe Robbins/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Six college football players joined a federal anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday. The case challenges the economic model of the NCAA sport, potentially enhancing the damages that could reach into the billions of dollars.
The complaint, put forth by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon in 2009, accuses the NCAA of fixing at zero the amount that players receive from video games and other products that use players’ names, likenesses, and images.
The players joining the case are Arizona Wildcats Jake Fischer and Jake Smith, Vanderbilt’s Chase Garnham, Clemson’s Darius Robinson, and Minnesota’s Moses Alipate and Victor Keise.
“These athletes are incredibly brave. They are well-aware of the risks of standing up to the NCAA, and yet they felt that this was the right thing to do,” Michael Hausfeld, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement.
Later this summer, Judge Claudia Wilken will rule on whether the class of current and former players will be certified, allowing it to pursue claims as a group or individuals.
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