NCAA to fork over $10MM to Athletes

[PLaw]

I saw in the USA Today that the NCAA has settled a lawsuite by three Division 1 collegians to pay out over $10MM to full scholly jocks. Issue was that the full ride did not cover incidentals for miscellaneous expenses incurred by athletes. Every scholarship athlete from 2002 to present could receive up to $2500.

In the big scheme, $10MM to the NCAA and revenues generated by colleges from athletic programs is pretty much chump change, but it's a start in the right direction.

Hit the USA Today website for the whole story.

BOOMER

[soonerinabilene]

Mega Million? Mucho Million? Mayonaisse Million?

[1stTimeCaller]

M=1,000
MM=1,000,000

[SOONER STEAKER]

Mis-taken Million?

[mfosterftw]

The figure I have is $228M...


NCAA Agrees to Pay Up to $228-Million to Settle Vast Antitrust Case Brought by Athletes
BRAD WOLVERTON - The Chronicle of Higher Education

In a move that would provide tens of thousands of athletes with more money for college expenses, the National Collegiate Athletic Association agreed on Tuesday to reallocate up to $228-million to settle a massive antitrust lawsuit filed by four former players. But the deal could have costly implications for colleges in the coming years.

Under the settlement, which must still be approved by a federal court in California, the NCAA agreed to set aside $218-million over the next five years to help the more than 150,000 Division I athletes in all sports pay for basic expenses not covered by their athletics scholarships. The NCAA would allocate an additional $10-million over the next three years to cover career-development services and other educational expenses for some 30,000 current and former Division I football and men's basketball players.

Much of that money was already designated to help colleges hire tutors, build academic facilities for athletes, and assist needy students. The settlement would allow more of those funds to go directly to athletes for their out-of-pocket expenses, such as personal travel.

Meanwhile, the settlement could hit athletics departments with significant new costs. It would allow Division I programs to begin offering year-round, comprehensive health insurance to athletes, as well as basic accident insurance for injuries players sustain while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Insurance experts say those policies could cost colleges $100,000 or more a year.

Hardship Complaint

The plaintiffs, four former Division I football and men's basketball players, accused the NCAA of creating a hardship for college athletes by capping the amount of scholarship aid they may receive. Full athletics awards at Division I colleges include tuition, fees, books, and room and board, but the players' complaint asserted that athletes must often pay $2,500 or more annually out of their own pockets for basic expenses not covered by their athletics scholarships.

Members of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, a group of 56 faculty senates from some of the biggest athletics programs, said the settlement was good news for players—but could present additional problems for athletics departments in five years. After 2012, colleges could be forced to pay for athletes' out-of-pocket expenses themselves, said Nathan Tublitz, a professor of biology at the University of Oregon who is the group's co-chair.

"Any settlement that helps student-athletes financially and enables them to stay in school and graduate is a good settlement," Mr. Tublitz said in an interview on Tuesday. "But we're concerned that after five years, someone is going to have to pick up this cost, and that's a lot of money that could be transferred onto institutions."

'Landmark' Settlement

The size of the deal shocked some legal experts, who described it as a "landmark" settlement for college sports.

"This makes the settlement against assistant coaches look like a Sunday-school picnic," said Sheldon E. Steinbach, a Washington lawyer, referring to the NCAA's $54.5-million settlement in 1999 with a group of former assistant coaches whose salaries the NCAA had capped.

Michael McCann, an assistant professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, said the deal may "soften some of the critique" of the NCAA that players are not treated as well as they should be, given the amount of revenue they help generate.

"The NCAA can look like the victor by acknowledging that more equity was needed in terms of how players are treated," he said.

Stephen E. Morrissey, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the players were pleased that the deal would provide additional money for all Division I athletes. "But just as importantly," he said, "this case has led to some important reforms at the NCAA."

As part of the settlement, the NCAA agreed to consider legislation that would allow colleges to extend athletics scholarships beyond five years. The association also agreed to discuss guaranteeing multiyear scholarships to athletes. Currently, institutions renew scholarships every year.

[SOONER STEAKER]

228, now that MMM

[soonerhubs]

Does this mean Reggie Bush and Bomar just get a receipt for $2,500 lowering the severity of their violations by 2 and half grand? :D

[TheUnnamedSooner]

The figure I have is $228M...

228,000??

[sooner n houston]

That is good news IMHO!

[PLaw]

The figure I have is $228M...

Now we are starting to talk some serious cash.

BOOMER

[colleyvillesooner]

I love this thread...

[goingoneight]

I need to go sign up for the team. I'll be I could be a mean punter these days.

[SoonerShark]

Does this mean Reggie Bush and Bomar just get a receipt for $2,500 lowering the severity of their violations by 2 and half grand? :D

If we were paying our athletes why do they need fake jobs? Are we the only team NOT paying our players?