NCAA May Face Up To $1.4 Billion In Damages Claim In Athlete Suit

In a legal filing on Friday, attorneys representing the NCAA and top college conferences stated that a current antitrust lawsuit is seeking over $1.4 billion in damages from the association’s rules regarding college athletes’ ability to profit from their names, images, and likenesses.

It is unclear from the filings whether the stated figure includes the potential tripling of damages awards in successful antitrust cases. If not, the case could involve over $4.2 billion.

Read more: The NCAA Faces New Antitrust Suit

The NCAA and conferences used a figure in their argument against the athletes’ class-action status for damages claims in front of US District Judge Claudia Wilken. The athletes’ lawyers requested class certification in October, partially redacted, and supported by sealed reports from economic experts.

 The NCAA and the conferences specifically cited those reports in their filings Friday night.

If Wilken denies class-action status, any damages awarded in the case would be limited to the claims of the three named plaintiffs: Arizona State men’s swimmer Grant House; former Oregon women’s basketball player Sedona Prince, who has said she is transferring to TCU; and former Illinois football player Tymir Oliver.