Four former University of Michigan football players—Denard Robinson, Braylon Edwards, Michael Martin, and Shawn Crable—filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and Big Ten Network in Michigan federal court. The suit alleges that the organizations conspired to violate antitrust laws by denying the players the ability to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). The plaintiffs, who played for the Wolverines from the 2000s to early 2010s, claim they lost out on lucrative NIL opportunities during their college careers due to the NCAA’s restrictive rules.
Represented by attorney James Acho, the players are seeking more than $50 million in damages and hope to have their lawsuit certified as a class action, representing NCAA athletes who played before June 15, 2016, whose NIL was used without compensation. The lawsuit draws parallels to the historic Ed O’Bannon case, which challenged the NCAA’s use of athletes’ likenesses in video games without consent or payment.
The complaint accuses the NCAA and Big Ten Network of using athletes’ NIL in various forms of media, including live games and promotional content, without proper compensation. The lawsuit claims that the NCAA’s amateurism rules allowed them to artificially suppress the market value of student-athletes’ NIL, depriving them of income from endorsements, media appearances, and other opportunities.
The suit also references recent legal setbacks for the NCAA, such as the Supreme Court’s ruling in *NCAA v. Alston*, which found the organization in violation of antitrust laws. The plaintiffs seek not only financial compensation but also an injunction to stop the NCAA and Big Ten from continuing these alleged practices. The lawsuit adds to the growing number of legal challenges to the NCAA’s amateurism model.
