Basketball players sue NCAA for use of NIL in March Madness promo

Sixteen former men’s college basketball players, including Kansas stars Mario Chalmers and Sharon Collins, UConn guard Ryan Boatwright and Arizona guard Jason Terry, have sued the NCAA and multiple conferences for unauthorized use of their names, images and likenesses in March Madness highlights.

Chalmers hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to tie Memphis and force overtime in the 2008 national championship game. After Chalmers made one of the most dramatic shots in NCAA men’s basketball history, the Jayhawks dominated the Tigers in overtime to win 75-68 for their first national championship in 20 seasons.

Defendants in the class-action lawsuit, which was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, also include the Big East, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC and Turner Sports Interactive.

“Mario Chalmers, Sharon Collins, and other members of the 2008 Kansas Jayhawks national championship men’s basketball team have been paid nothing by the NCAA or its partner TSI to continue using their names, images and likenesses to promote and monetize March Madness.” The case “The same is true for the thousands of former NCAA athletes across all sports whose names, images and likenesses continue to be displayed for commercial purposes by partners such as the NCAA, its member conferences and TSI.”

The suit accuses the defendants of “systematically and willfully” abusing the plaintiffs’ publicity rights while “collecting scores of millions of dollars from the plaintiffs and the participation of class members in similar contests.”

The lawsuit accuses the NCAA and other defendants of violating the federal Sherman Antitrust Act through unfair restraint of trade, group boycotts and refusal to contract.

“The NCAA has used its monopoly power for decades to exploit student-athletes from the moment they enter college until long after their collegiate careers are over,” the lawsuit states. “The NCAA conspired with conferences, colleges, licensing companies and apparel companies to price student-athlete labor near zero and make student-athletes involuntary and lifelong pitchmen for the NCAA.”

Other plaintiffs in the suit include Alex Oriakhi (UConn/Missouri), DeAndre Daniels (UConn), Roscoe Smith (UConn/UNLV), Vincent Council (Providence), Matt Pressey (Missouri), Eugene Edgerson (Arizona), AJ Bramlett (Arizona). ), Jason Stewart (Arizona), Gerard Coleman (Providence/Gonzaga), Justin Green (Kent State), Ron Giple (Providence/East Tennessee State) and James Cunningham (Arizona State/Tulsa).

June 10, 1983 Ten members of the NC State men’s basketball team sue the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company in Wake County Superior Court, North Carolina, for unauthorized use of their names, images and likenesses. Known as the “Cardiac Pack,” coach Jim Valvano’s team beat heavily favored Houston 54-52 on Lorenzo Charles’ dunk in the final seconds.

“For more than 40 years, the NCAA and its co-conspirators have systematically and willfully abused the Cardiac Pack’s publicity rights — including their name, image and likeness — associated with that game and that game, reaping scores of millions of dollars from the Cardiac Pack’s legendary victories. from,” the lawsuit said.

On May 22, the NCAA’s Board of Governors voted to agree to settlement terms in House v. NCAA and related antitrust cases. As part of the deal, which has yet to be approved by a federal judge, the NCAA will pay former athletes more than $2.7 billion over the next decade for damages related to the association’s name, image and similar restrictions, sources previously told ESPN.

The conferences also agreed to create an arrangement that would allow schools to pay athletes about $20 million per year in revenue sharing.

ESPN’s Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel contributed to this report.