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Judge rules against NCAA in case over using athletes' likenesses
After a group of former college athletes including Ed O'Bannon, Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson sued the NCAA and EA over the uncompensated use of their likeness in videogames and other media, EA and the NCAA reached a settlement last year for about $60 million. Today, ESPN reports that a judge has ruled on the case in favor of the athletes, saying the "NCAA rules unreasonably restrain trade." In a 99-page ruling (embedded after the break), US District Judge Claudia Wilken decided the NCAA can't stop football and basketball student-athletes from being paid for the use of their name and likeness, but did allow the NCAA to set a cap on the amount the amount of compensation they can receive while in school, as long as it's now below the cost of attendance. The NCAA can also cap the amount of money schools or conferences could deposit in a licensing trust that's payable when athletes leave school or their eligibility runs out, but it would have to be at least $5,000 per year at big schools. In a statement, the NCAA said "We disagree with the Court's decision that NCAA rules violate antitrust laws" and promised further comment later.
