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NCAA Moves to Settle Antitrust Suit Over Tennis Prize Money Restrictions

By  |  February 26, 2026
NCAA

The NCAA has reached an agreement to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit brought by a University of North Carolina tennis player and a certified class of Division I athletes, according to Bloomberg.

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    In a court filing submitted Wednesday to the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, the parties said they had agreed on the key terms of a class action settlement that would fully resolve the dispute, per Bloomberg. The filing asks the court to pause all litigation deadlines and proceedings for 60 days while the settlement agreement is finalized and approval materials are prepared.

    “The parties have reached agreement on material terms of a class action settlement fully resolving this action and request a stay of litigation deadlines to allow the parties to finalize a settlement agreement and prepare approval materials for …” the filing stated.

    The lawsuit was initiated in March 2024 by Reese Brantmeier, a UNC tennis standout, who challenged NCAA rules limiting the amount of prize money college athletes could retain from outside competitions. According to Bloomberg, Brantmeier earned approximately $50,000 for her performance at the 2021 U.S. Open while still in high school. However, under NCAA rules at the time, she was permitted to keep only $10,000 plus certain expenses.

    Brantmeier later amended her complaint in November 2024 to narrow the proposed class to Division I women’s tennis players who compete or previously competed at that level, according to Bloomberg. Former University of Texas player Maya Joint joined the case as an additional named plaintiff.

    Read more: The NCAA’s 5-Year Eligibility Rule: Recent Updates

    US District Judge Catherine Eagles certified the lawsuit as a class action, meaning that a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could have exposed the NCAA to financial damages owed to all members of the class, per Bloomberg.

    The legal challenge centered on whether the NCAA’s restrictions on athletes’ ability to retain prize money violated federal antitrust laws. “We have long thought the prize money case was a straightforward violation of antitrust laws,” Jason Miller, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Brantmeier, told WRAL in July.

    Brantmeier has remained a prominent figure in collegiate tennis throughout the litigation. Now a senior, she captured the 2025 NCAA Singles Championship in November and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. She earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles in fall 2025 and previously helped lead the Tar Heels to a team national championship in 2023. That same year, she finished as the national runner-up in doubles alongside teammate Elizabeth Scotty.

    The proposed settlement must still receive court approval before taking effect.

    Source: Bloomberg