NCAA faces yet another legal battle

Lawsuit filed to prevent any limits on athletes’ earnings

Attorneys filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in federal court Monday that seeks to prevent the association from limiting the amount of money athletes can make off their names, images and likenesses.

The antitrust lawsuit by attorneys representing two current college athletes also seeks damages for potential past earnings athletes have been denied by current NCAA rules. Arizona State swimmer Grant House and Oregon women’s basketball player Sedona Prince are the plaintiffs.

They are suing the NCAA and the Power Five Conferences for unspecified damages. The suit seeks class-action status.

The latest legal challenge comes as the NCAA is the process of changing its rules to allow college athletes to earn money from third parties for things like social media endorsements, sponsorship deals and appearances. The NCAA is also seeking help from Congress in the form of a federal law regarding name, image and likeness compensation that would superseded legislation being pushed at the state level.

Florida’s governor signed an NIL bill into law last week that would go into effect July 2021.

The lead attorney in the latest case against the NCAA — Steve Berman from Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro — is a familiar legal foe for the association. His firm has won two antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA in the past decade: Tthe Ed O’Bannon case that challenged the NCAA’s use of athletes’ names, images and likenesses, and the so-called Alston case that accused the NCAA and major conferences of illegally capping compensation to athletes.

College football: Longtime University of Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle won’t be returning to the field after multiple former players accused him of racism.

The athletic department announced Monday that it had reached a $1.1 million separation agreement with Doyle that entitles him to 15 months’ salary, or two payments of $556,249.50. He’ll also receive health and dental benefits through Sept. 1, 2021, or until he finds employment elsewhere.

Doyle, who was hired in 1999, was put on administrative leave on June 6 after players shared stories of racism during their time at Iowa. Former defensive back Diauntae Morrow claimed Doyle threatened to send him “back to the ghetto,” while defensive back Manny Rugamba said Doyle told a black player he’d “put you back on the streets.”

Doyle, the highest paid strength and conditioning coach in college football, denied all allegations.