Tue Sep 10 16:50:29 UTC 2024: ## Former Michigan Football Players Sue NCAA and Big Ten Network for $50 Million
**Ann Arbor, MI** – Four former Michigan Wolverines football stars, Braylon Edwards, Denard Robinson, Michael Martin, and Shawn Crable, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA and Big Ten Network, demanding $50 million for the alleged unauthorized use of their names, images, and likenesses.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court of Eastern Michigan, accuses the NCAA and BTN of profiting from the athletes’ performances without their consent or compensation. This includes broadcasting historical highlights, advertising, and merchandise sales featuring their images.
“The NCAA has made hundreds of millions off them over the years and BTN has made tens of millions,” said Jim Acho, the attorney representing the plaintiffs. “It’s one thing to say they shouldn’t share profits…but to have prevented them from capitalizing on their name, monetizing their name − that’s all a college kid has.”
The lawsuit cites the NCAA’s long-standing policy of preventing athletes from profiting off their NIL until the landmark rule change in July 2021. The plaintiffs argue that this policy constitutes a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, as it prevented athletes from freely using their names and likeness for personal gain.
Acho, who has a history of successfully representing athletes in similar lawsuits, believes this case has strong merit and expects a favorable outcome. He states that the NCAA and BTN have been continuously violating the law by exploiting players’ NIL rights for decades.
The lawsuit seeks to not only recover compensation for the plaintiffs but also to prevent future generations of athletes from facing similar exploitation.
This case is the latest in a series of legal challenges against the NCAA over the issue of athlete compensation. The NCAA has recently settled a class-action lawsuit with former athletes dating back to 2016, agreeing to pay over $2.9 billion. However, many athletes, including those represented in this lawsuit, believe that the NCAA has historically profited unfairly off their labor and deserve greater compensation.
The NCAA and Big Ten Network have yet to respond to the lawsuit.
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