*The NCAA, (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) has been the judge, jury, and executioner regarding the financial future of college athletes.
Athletes still aren’t permitted to be directly compensated by colleges and universities, however, a recent ruling allows athletes to profit by other means, such as using their name, image, and likeness (NIL) to improve their financial futures.
This landmark settlement arises in the context of the NCAA’s long-standing policies, which have often put Black athletes at a disadvantage, particularly regarding ad revenue and marketing that tends to limit engagement with Black audiences.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, (Black) athletes who played Division I sports from 2016 to 2024 must submit claims by January 31, 2025, to ensure they receive compensation (up to $280,000!) from the settlement.
“The current settlement deals with name, image, and likeness (NIL), said Patrick A. Bradford, a Founding Partner of Bradford Edwards & Varlack LLP, which specializes in complex commercial litigation, including anti-trust litigation.
Their firm often represents clients before the DOJ, FTC, SEC, and FINRA. The case is pending currently before Judge Claudia Wilken in the District Court, Federal District Court in California, Oakland.
“Now, Judge Wilken is the district court judge who initially issued the initial ruling, which was then affirmed by the Ninth Circuit 3-0 and then affirmed by the Supreme Court, 9-0,” Bradford added.
The deadline is approaching soon, and Division 1 athletes who played basketball and football must submit claims by January 31, 2025, to receive compensation, which could be financially lucrative.
“The final settlement hearing will be in April,” Bradford explained. “But between now and April, there are important things that happen. The most important thing for Division I college athletes, including Black Division 1 college athletes, is that they have to register and submit a claim form online or by paper by January 31, 2025.”
What is NIL? According to Icon Source, an athletic endorsement marketplace for brands, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) is “a term that describes the means through which college athletes are allowed to receive financial compensation from the NCAA.” For decades, the question has been raised- “should collegiate athletes receive compensation for their athletic contributions to the NCAA, colleges, and universities?”
The answer is a resounding YES!
Division 1 football and basketball generate millions of dollars for the NCAA, with more than half of that going to Division I members, which include several affluent colleges and universities.
In 2023, according to US News, the NCAA generated $1.3 billion in revenue, through TV broadcast rights, ticket sales, alumni donations, licensing and advertisements, and conference distributions. Athletes, including Black athletes, are primarily responsible for generating that massive revenue stream. They are not compensated, stirring up controversy for decades.
“The important thing is to get the word out to as many people as possible,” Bradford explained. “Now, the reason my firm decided to issue this press release as a matter of public service is because we were concerned that the notice provisions approved by the court did not include any specific Black Media notifications- no Black press, no Black radio. And so, what we’re trying to do is to get the word out so that any eligible Division 1 Black athletes who may not know about the compensation pool can go online and register. Bradford urges the community to be involved in getting the word out.
“Certainly, everyone who has a claim on settlement funds should make it,” said Bradford. “But our concern was more basic, and that’s simply that the more people within the black community who know about this, even if they aren’t players themselves, they may be parents or relatives of the players who find out and then inform the players, and so our concern was that the black community at large wasn’t being specifically included in the notification approved by the court. It’s just as simple as that, and right from the beginning, our concerns were born out. I contacted a former Division 1 player who I had worked with who played Division 1 ball for Seton Hall, Kansas and he is a member of the class. He has the right to receive some settlement funds, but he hadn’t heard about this.”
However, the site, www.collegeathletecompensation.com, had a lack of information, vital for filing a claim.
“So, if you don’t have your PINs when you go to register for your claim you simply put down, I don’t have my number, and it brings you to a screen, and that is the claim form,” explained Attorney Bradford. “But one of the one of the boxes in that screen requires you to put in your claim number, and you don’t have it. So, what you have to do is you have to type in the word ‘unknown’ in that box, and then it’ll let you submit the form.”
Often, mainstream media outlets vanish when there are rulings that can financially benefit the Black community. Black athletes, who often are responsible for the excitement that brings scores of fans to arenas, resulting in the NCAA and its Division 1 members becoming rich in financial compensation, are often ignored when financial settlements, such as the NIL compensation package, are available.
Athletes should have a large piece of the financial pie, and while this ruling doesn’t allow athletes to be directly paid by colleges and universities, NIL presents an opportunity for lucrative compensation.
Bottom line: If you were a Division 1 athlete who played between 2016 and 2024, you must file a claim before the January 31, 2025 deadline. The estimated average payout for each eligible football and men’s basketball player is projected to be around $91,000, with some top earners potentially receiving up to $280,000! This financial relief could significantly impact athletes’ lives, especially those who have faced challenges in monetizing their talents due to restrictive NCAA regulations.
Eligible athletes can log in with a Claim ID and PIN or their NCAA Eligibility Center ID. If these are unavailable, they can simply select “No” when asked about this information and type “Unknown” in the NCAA Eligibility Center ID box.
For assistance, athletes can contact [email protected] to request their Claim ID and PIN or NCAA Eligibility ID. Visit www.collegeathletecompensation.com for more details.
For information on Bradford Edwards LLP, visit www.bradfordedwards.com.
Buddy Sampson is a Southern California-based writer. Contact him via [email protected]
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