The NCAA’s nearly $2.8 billion antitrust settlement is facing increased uncertainty after more than a dozen legal challenges were filed on Friday, just one day before the deadline for objections. Four antitrust experts told ESPN that the deal is still likely to be approved, but some objections have the potential to delay, reshape or derail it.
The settlement would allow schools to directly pay their athletes moving forward and force the NCAA to pay prior damages to a group of over 100,000 former and current athletes who claim to be victims of antitrust violations. However, several parts of the pending settlement have raised concerns, including claims that future limits on how much schools can give to their athletes create a new illegal cap, violating the same laws that prompted these cases to be filed.
Judge Claudia Wilken has scheduled a hearing on the settlement for April 7, where she will determine whether the deal is “fair, reasonable and adequate” for all Division I athletes and their schools. The judge can approve the deal in its current form, ask for revision based on the objections or reject the deal and push the cases toward trial.
Some experts believe that the objections raised legitimate problems that could reshape or potentially even derail the deal, but most agree that Wilken will likely approve the settlement due to the complexity of the issue. “This is so far down the tracks it’s going to be hard to stop,” said University of Illinois sports law professor Michael LeRoy.
The settlement has significant implications for college athletic departments that have made plans to begin paying their athletes this summer, and some states have passed laws that would clear the way for their schools to start paying players even if the settlement fails. However, player advocates worry that the settlement could wind up shackling the athletes-rights movement that has gained momentum in recent years.
A hearing on April 7 will determine the future of the NCAA’s antitrust settlement and its potential impact on college athletics.
Source: https://www.espn.co.uk/college-sports/story/_/id/43641428/judge-weighs-28b-ncaa-settlement-amid-objection-filings