"Cardiac Pack" File Suit, High School NIL News + ICYMI | Newsletter #244
Today’s Thursday newsletter includes highlights from this week, important news from last week, and what to watch for.
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Recapping Major News This Week:
Members of NC State’s 1983 Championship Team are Suing the NCAA Over NIL
Ten members of the “Cardiac Pack” are suing the NCAA, seeking compensation for their NIL, specifically claiming that the NCAA has been misappropriating their publicity rights for more than 40 years.
The players are looking to recover “reasonable compensation” and an injunction against the NCAA to stop them from using the teams’ 1983 images.
Images of the team have been used in ads for March Madness without the players’ consent and without paying them.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Learfield Expands its Compass NIL Platform
Learfield is one of the leading media and technology companies within college athletics.
The expansion of their Compass NIL Platform will help deliver business opportunities to student-athletes.
Compass already has over 30,000 student-athletes on the platform.
The expansion is an integration of Compass with Learfield’s brand partner database, creating a connection between university brand partners and student-athletes at those schools.
The goal is to help connect more brands with more student-athletes to create authentic connections and powerful sponsorships.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
Quick Hitter News:
University of Florida quarterback, Graham Mertz, announced his NIL partnership with Mercedes-Benz of Gainesville - LINK
Alabama’s new high school association leader faces many difficult questions on NIL - LINK
The Tennessee baseball team signed a team-wide NIL deal with a Tennessee collective, wearing special edition College World Series t-shirts on their way to Omaha for this year’s College World Series - LINK
South Dakota becomes the latest state to approve NIL for their high school athletes - LINK
The North Carolina Board of Education approved a ban on NIL for public high school athletes - LINK
ICYMI - Important News From Last Week
The FHSAA approved NIL for high school athletes - LINK
The latest issue in the House v. NCAA settlement is the implication of Title IX laws - LINK
The NCAA permanently ended transfer restrictions - LINK
What To Watch For: The NCAA’s Legal Threats are far From Over
Last month, the NCAA approved settlement terms in the landmark House v. NCAA case. However, it remains unclear how this settlement protects the NCAA from future legal challenges. Additionally, the judge presiding over the case, Judge Claudia Wilken, has yet to certify the settlement. If she does that, it would close the door on other antitrust cases against the NCAA, including Carter and Hubbard. Wilken’s approval is still not a guarantee and is something to keep an eye on. Along with the antitrust cases are the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) cases, which have implications as to whether student-athletes may be classified as employees. Both types of cases have effects on student-athletes and how they are able to be compensated.
As for continued legal threats the NCAA may face, the latest to be discussed are tax implications regarding student-athletes and the effect of these decisions for compensation of athletes on Title IX laws. Student-athletes are growing stronger in their ability to advocate for themselves and their right to be compensated, and with the NCAA seeming to face loss after loss in their cases, student-athletes are more empowered than ever to challenge the system. As student-athletes continue to be empowered by the changing landscape of NIL and college athletics, the challenges the NCAA will face are far from over.
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