Skip to main content

Judge approves $60 million settlement for NCAA athletes in EA video games

Thousands of overworked and underpaid college athletes will finally get what’s owed to them. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of California approved a $60 million settlement from Electronic Arts, the Collegiate Licensing Company, and the NCAA over the exploitative use of college athlete’s names and likenesses in massively profitable video games without any compensation, CBS Sports reports.

“I’m pleased to be part of a landmark effort that will get student-athletes paid for the first time in history,” remarked Steve Berman, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, in response to judge Wilken’s approval. Wilkens only orally approved the settlement on Thursday. Once she formally does so on paper, there will be a 30-day objection period for appeals to be filed. If the process proceeds unhindered, payment could start going out as early as September, according to Berman.

Recommended Videos

Over 20,000 claims have already been made, and other eligible athletes now have until July 31 to join by submitting a claim here. Players who appeared in EA Sports NCAA games between 2003 and 2014 are potentially eligible for up to $7,200. The precise payout for each player depends on a number of factors, including the year and whether their name, photograph, or jersey appeared in the game. The potential pool of claimants consists of 111,174 real roster football players and 21,309 real roster basketball players who appeared in EA Sports games during the relevant time period. Current football and men’s basketball players who were active during that window are also able to file a claim without losing their NCAA eligibility. As of last week over 400 current athletes have joined the lawsuit.

The lawsuit began in 2009 when former UCLA basketball forward Ed O’Bannon called B.S. on the NCAA’s policy of not paying student athletes anything in order to maintain the amateur nature of collegiate athletics. O’Bannon and his legal team contended that this violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and the players’ right of publicity. The policy of not paying student athletes was formed in a very different media environment, before television and licensing revenue transformed college athletics into an industry worth billions of dollars. Meanwhile, EA pays nearly $35 million every year to the NFL Players Union for using its athletes’ names and likenesses. O’Bannon’s suit snowballed into a class action, which EA and the NCAA fought tooth and nail (even turning on each other) until agreeing to settle in 2014 when Judge Wilken ruled that the NCAA’s policy was in fact an antitrust violation.

More recently, comedian John Oliver used his platform of HBO’s Last Week Tonight to draw attention to the issue with a story about the often terrible working conditions forced onto high-level college athletes. It featured the lawsuit, culminating in a particularly scathing trailer for a parody video game, March Sadness 2015:

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: The NCAA (HBO)
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (April 25-27)
A mage looking over morrowind in Elder scrolls online.

The end of a month is always exciting. We have an entire month of upcoming PS5 games to look forward to, plus the excitement to hear what new games will be coming to PlayStation Plus. April finished up strong with Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 arriving just this past week, which we suspect many of you will still be playing. However, that game isn't for everyone, and some of us out there can't afford to get this hot new game at full price. Whatever the case may be, this is the time when your PS Plus subscription really shows its worth. Just like I do every week, I have hand-picked some great games on the service you are sure to enjoy over the weekend.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Read more
I spent 9 hours with Dune: Awakening and lived to tell the tale
A character holds a sword in Dune: Awakening.

The Sands of Arrakis are not for the faint of heart. 

That message is repeatedly told in the Dune novels and films. Everywhere you turn, something is trying to kill you or use you as a pawn to further some agenda. During a recent beta for Dune: Awakening, where I was able to play Funcom's upcoming MMO for nine hours, that message was solidified. I went up against in-depth survival mechanics as I explored the deserts of Arrakis, forcing me out of my comfort zone if I didn’t want to wind up worm food. That tense gameplay makes Dune: Awakening an MMO to watch for when the summer sun rolls around come June 10.

Read more
The best Mario Kart 8 setup
A cast of Mario characters racing in Mario Kart 8.

The Nintendo Switch library is brimming with amazing games for kids and games for adults, but the one that appeals to gamers of all ages has to be Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This kart racer is great fun to play casually, but those who want to push their kart racing skills to the limit will find a lot of depth in the mechanics. In particular, the dozens of ways you can set up your kart does way more than change up its appearance. Depending on your character, the type of kart, choice of tires, and glider all change your stats on the race course. Once you hit the higher CCs and start racing competitively, these stats can determine if you finish first or last. We've been tinkering under the hoods of our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe karts ever since the WiiU days so we'll be your trusty mechanic and give you the best Mario Kart 8 setup.

How to make the fastest Mario Kart 8 setup

Read more