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Boulder law firm files appeal of House v. NCAA settlement – Boulder Daily Camera

A law firm in Boulder representing a group of female athletes filed an appeal of the House v. NCAA settlement on Wednesday. The firm of Hutchinson Black and Cook (HBC) is arguing that the landmark settlement, which was approved on Friday by Judge Claudia Wilken in Northern California, violates the gender equity statute in Title […]

Published

2 weeks ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A law firm in Boulder representing a group of female athletes filed an appeal of the House v. NCAA settlement on Wednesday.

The firm of Hutchinson Black and Cook (HBC) is arguing that the landmark settlement, which was approved on Friday by Judge Claudia Wilken in Northern California, violates the gender equity statute in Title IX.

According to FrontOfficeSports.com, this is the first appeal of the House settlement. There are expected to be more appeals in the coming months based on Title IX.

A big part of the settlement is $2.8 billion in damages to be distributed to qualified Division I athletes who competed from 2016-2024, as compensation for lost NIL, video game and broadcasting revenue.

The settlement will also allow for colleges to begin paying student-athletes through revenue sharing on July 1. In addition, there will be a process implemented to make sure name, image and likeness (NIL) deals are not pay-for-play deals, and there are new roster limits in place for various sports.

It is the back pay portion of the settlement that is under appeal, as potentially 90% of that $2.8 million is expected to go to football and men’s basketball players, as those are the two sports that generate the vast majority of the revenue in college athletics.

The athletes represented by HBC are: Kacie Breeding of Vanderbilt; Lexi Drumm, Emma Appleman, Emmie Wannemacher, Riley Hass, Savannah Baron and Elizabeth Arnold of the College of Charleston; and Kate Johnson of Virginia. All of them previously filed objections to the proposed settlement.

HBC’s involvement stems from a history of Title IX litigation, and the firm has been building a sports law practice. In addition, Breeding, who graduated from Vanderbilt in 2020, currently lives in Boulder and began working with HBC attorney Ashlyn Hare on this case in building the list of clients.

Hare provided a statement to BuffZone on reasons for appealing the settlement.

“We support a settlement of the case, but not an inaccurate one that violates federal law,” Hare said. “The calculation of past damages is based on an error that ignores Title IX and deprives female athletes of 1.1 billion dollars. Paying out the money as proposed would be a massive error that would cause irreparable harm to women’s sports.

“This is a football and basketball damages settlement with no real benefit to female athletes. Title IX was created to rein in efforts such as these. Congress has expressly rejected efforts to exempt revenue-generating sports like football and basketball from Title IX’s antidiscrimination mandate. The NCAA agreed with us. Our argument on appeal is the exact same argument the conferences and NCAA made prior to settling the case.”

Title IX is federal legislation that requires schools to provide opportunities for men and women in academics and athletics. Signed into law in 1972, Title IX has required schools to provide equitable roster positions and scholarship funds for men and women.

In her ruling last week, Wilken determined that Title IX was not applicable in the settlement. Many disagree, however, which has led to Wednesday’s appeal and perhaps more appeals to come.

“The settlement suggests schools would have paid male athletes over 90% of their revenue over the past six years as though Title IX didn’t apply,” Hare said. “If Nike wants to do that, that is their choice. If the school, or a conference acting on the school’s behalf tries to do that, they are violating the law. They can either pay the athletes proportionately, or they can return all of their federal funds. But they can’t do both.

“Title IX was deliberately misconstrued and ignored in this settlement. The parties and Court acted like it was adequately addressed when it clearly was not. Complying with Title IX was a problem in this settlement, so they just chose to ignore it. That can’t stand. The very foundation of this damages settlement violates federal law, and it comes at a steep cost that would once again set back female athletes. This appeal is to bring attention to the $1.1 billion blunder that will devalue women’s sports for years to come.”

This appeal will not stop schools from beginning payments to current student-athletes on July 1, but it does halt plans by the NCAA to begin distributing the $2.8 billion in back pay.

In January, during the final days of the Biden Administration, the federal government issued guidance that state NIL and revenue sharing payments must be “proportionately available” to male and female athletes. That mandate was rescinded, however, by the Department of Education just a few weeks later in February during the early days of the Trump Administration.

Originally Published: June 11, 2025 at 4:26 PM MDT

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The Clemson Insider

CLEMSON — The NCAA vs House Settlement will go into effect on Tuesday, July 1, signaling a new era for college athletics. The settlement is supposed to mark a significant shift, formally ending the NCAA’s long-standing amateurism model and allowing for direct payment to athletes. The settlement calls for damages to former athletes, too, as the […]

Published

17 minutes ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The settlement calls for damages to former athletes, too, as the NCAA, along with the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and the Pac 12 agreed to pay $2.8 billion in damages to former athletes who were prevented from earning compensation for their name, image and likeness (NIL) prior to 2021. This will be paid out over the next 10 years.

Starting on Tuesday, Division I schools that opt-in to the settlement can directly compensate student-athletes up to a revenue-sharing cap, initially set at $20.5 million per school. This cap is expected to increase annually.

The settlement also dealt with NIL rule modifications, as the NCAA can still restrict NIL payments from school-associated entities like booster collectives, while other third parties can enter NIL deals with student-athletes. These deals must be reported and approved by the school as part of a fair-market value.

However, the last part of the settlement might take a hit thanks to Friday’s United States Supreme Court ruling in the Trump v. CASA, Inc., case. This ruling primarily addressed the use of nationwide injunctions, a legal tool lower courts had used to block some of President Donald Trump’s policies.

The ruling against nationwide injunctions affects the NCAA because many such injunctions have been granted against its rules in recent years, particularly in cases involving NIL. For example, a Tennessee federal district court had previously issued a nationwide injunction preventing the NCAA from enforcing its NIL rules.

While the House settlement aims for stability, potential future conflicts could arise, particularly related to Title IX and how revenue is distributed between male and female athletes.

Twelve female athletes are in the process of appealing the House settlement, which was finalized on June 6. The women are arguing the structure of damages payments violates Title IX’s gender equity statute.

On June 11, CBS Sports reported eight athletes have signed onto the motion to appeal and at least six of whom were women that played at the College of Charleston. Two others are from Vanderbilt and Virginia.

Despite the appeals, the NCAA is optimistic the settlement ruling by Judge Claudia Wilken will be upheld.

As CBS Sports reported, the House settlement used a formula to determine how to distribute money. Football and men’s basketball athletes who received full scholarships at Power Five schools from June 15, 2016, to Sept. 15, 2024, are set to receive 90 percent of the more than $2 billion settlement. Women’s basketball athletes will receive 5 percent, and all other athletes will split the remaining 5 percent.

The female athletes filing the appeal are part of the third class. Most played volleyball or soccer at their respective schools.

Wilken wrote in the settlement approval that there’s nothing in the settlement itself that forces schools to contradict Title IX. She overruled objections that specifically claimed the settlement itself did not properly follow Title IX.

Instead, the settlement left the defining of Title IX compliance up to the schools and governing bodies.

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LSU has earned title as college baseball’s premier program – Tar Heel Times

Published

35 minutes ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Posted Jun 28, 2025

On a hair dryer of a Sunday afternoon in the town that every June becomes de facto Baton Rouge North, the LSU Tigers didn’t merely win a Men’s CWS national championship. Nor was it merely their eighth overall. The title they really won was that of Greatest Ever College Baseball Program. “This city feels like home to us,” said former LSU coach Skip Bertman.
(ESPN.com)

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One year ahead of the Pac-12 officially adding six new members, the rebuilt conference has secured a deal to make CBS its top media rights…
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It’s been four years since college athletes were permitted to profit off the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), opening the door for…
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The most well-known aspect of the House legal settlement, whose terms will become the college sports world’s revolutionary new framework on July 1, is that…
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LSU has earned title as college baseball's premier program

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Two Colorado freshman to appear in EA Sports’ College Football 26

In the NIL era, players relish the opportunities they receive to make a profit off their name, but there is one deal that might trump any other. That is the ability to play as yourself in a video game, or more specifically, EA Sports’ latest installment, College Football 2026. Advertisement On Friday, incoming Colorado freshmen […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In the NIL era, players relish the opportunities they receive to make a profit off their name, but there is one deal that might trump any other.

That is the ability to play as yourself in a video game, or more specifically, EA Sports’ latest installment, College Football 2026.

On Friday, incoming Colorado freshmen London Merritt and Mantrez Walker announced they’ll be in the soon-to-be-released game. The edge rusher and linebacker confirmed that their name, image and likeness will be included in the game, marking another milestone in their young careers.

EA Sports brought back the popular college football franchise last year to widespread excitement from fans and players alike, eager to jump back into the game. New to this year’s addition, all 136 Football Bowl Subdivision schools will be paid by EA Sports based on the frequency with which gamers play with their respective team. Real-life coaches are also being added to the game this year.

Merritt and Walker are both Georgia natives, with Merritt being a blue-chip prospect once committed to Ohio State. Merritt appears to have significant potential with the Buffs, who lost several key pieces to their defensive line, most notably star defensive end BJ Green.

Walker was a three-star prospect who has been with the Buffs for most of the offseason, but he projects as a likely depth piece entering his freshman season.

Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: London Merritt, Mantrez Walker in EA Sports’ College Football 26

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Louisville basketball 2025

Published

3 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Louisville basketball’s 2025-26 roster appears set now that the NCAA has granted Aly Khalifa’s appeal for an additional season of eligibility.Khalifa is one of the Cardinals’ five returners from Year 1 of the Pat Kelsey era.The seven newcomers include three Division I veterans from the NCAA transfer portal, three international signees and one highly touted prospect from the high school ranks.Louisville basketball received some good news Friday, when it learned Aly Khalifa won his NCAA appeal for an additional season of eligibility.

With that, it appears as if the Cardinals’ roster for Year 2 of the Pat Kelsey era is set.

U of L returns five players from Kelsey’s inaugural campaign, during which the program reached the ACC Tournament championship game for the first time and ended a March Madness drought dating back to 2019. Its seven newcomers include three Division I veterans from the NCAA transfer portal, three international products and one highly touted prospect from the high school ranks.

Here’s a rundown of the scholarship players on the Cards’ 2025-26 roster, which is garnering sky-high expectations:

Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald’s All American West guard Mikel Brown Jr. (11) shoots the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Mikel Brown Jr. is the 29th McDonald’s All-American in Louisville history. The 6-foot-3 product of DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, ranks among the top 10 players in the Class of 2025, regardless of position, on the 247Sports Composite. In February, ESPN had the incoming freshman point guard as a lottery pick in its first mock 2026 NBA Draft.

Mouhamed Camara, a 20-year-old forward, has been honing his game at NBA Academy Africa since 2023. The 6-7 Senegal native reportedly averaged 10.6 points, seven rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.5 blocks across academy events over the past year. As of Friday, he was the only new addition who had not yet been introduced as a signee.

Jan 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Ryan Conwell (7) celebrates with fans after defeating the Villanova Wildcats at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Louisville is Ryan Conwell‘s fourth school in as many years. The 6-4 guard from Indianapolis was Xavier’s second-best scorer in 2024-25, averaging 16.5 points on 45% shooting en route to third-team All-Big East honors. He led the Musketeers in made 3s (99) and attempts (240), good for a 41.3% clip, and also tallied 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists against 1.6 turnovers and 1.3 steals across 33 minutes per game.

Sananda Fru, a 6-11 forward, played in Germany’s top-flight Basketball Bundesliga from 2021-25. This season, the 21-year-old was named its Best Young German Player after averaging 12.3 points on 66% shooting with 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 29 games (28 starts) for Löwen Braunschweig.

Nov 28, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; Louisville Cardinals guard J'Vonne Hadley (1) drives to the basket as West Virginia Mountaineers guard Toby Okani (5) defends during the first half at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

J’Vonne Hadley decided to run it back with Louisville after being granted an additional year of eligibility due to his time spent in the junior college ranks. The Minnesota native was the consummate glue guy for the Cards in 2024-25. He started all 35 games, led the team in rebounding (7.3), finished fourth in scoring (12.2) and punched above his 6-6 frame defensively.

Louisville center Aly Khalifa during Louisville Live at the KFC Yum! Center Friday night. Oct. 4, 2024

A deft passer, Khalifa led the Big 12 (and all DI bigs) with a 3.6 assist-turnover ratio in 2023-24 as a junior at BYU to go along with 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds across 19.4 minutes per game. The 6-11 Egyptian sat out of the 2024-25 season to recover from surgery to repair a hole in the cartilage of his left knee and proceeded to lose 50 pounds with the help of strength coach Eli Foy.

Dec 18, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely (11) is introduced prior to the Cavaliers' game against the Memphis Tigers at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia transfer Isaac McKneely was the ACC’s most accurate 3-point shooter in 2024-25 with a clip of 42.1% (101 for 240). The 6-4 guard from Poca, West Virginia, led the Cavaliers in scoring with 14.4 points on 43.9% shooting to go along with 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds across 34 minutes per contest as a junior. For his career, he is 233 for 552 (42.2%) from beyond the arc.

Louisville Cardinals forward Kasean Pryor (7) flexes after a first half slam dunk against Spalding University in the Cards' second exhibition game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.

Kasean Pryor waited until the day the transfer portal closed to announce his return to Louisville for the 2025-26 season after a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee cut short his 2024-25 campaign in late November. Across seven appearances, the 6-10 forward from Chicago averaged 12 points on 36.8% shooting (5 for 33 from 3) with 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks across 23 minutes per.

Louisville Cardinals guard Kobe Rodgers (11) makes a pass during practice before the first round of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament In Lexington, Kentucky Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Kobe Rodgers redshirted last season to recover from a knee injury he suffered during Charleston’s first-round loss to Alabama in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. In his first campaign playing for Kelsey, he averaged 9.7 points on 50% shooting with 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and a 1.4 assist-turnover ratio. Before signing with the Cougars in 2023, the 6-3 guard from Cincinnati was part of a Nova Southeastern team that went 36-0 and won the DII national championship.

Louisville Cardinals forward Khani Rooths (9) goes for a shot against UTEP Miners forward Elijah Jones (33) during their game on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

The lone freshman on Louisville’s 2024-25 roster, Khani Rooths, showed flashes of potential throughout the season. The 6-8 forward from Washington, D.C., averaged only 3.3 points on 39.3% shooting and three rebounds across 13.4 minutes per game but threw down some of the most electrifying dunks of the campaign.

April 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Three members of the Paul W. Bryant High basketball team signed their letters to play college basketball Tuesday. Adrian Wooley, who signed to play at Kennesaw State, embraces his mother, LaTonya, as she cries tears of joy.

Kennesaw State transfer Adrian Wooley, the reigning Conference USA Freshman of the Year, had one of the most productive 2024-25 campaigns of any DI newcomer across the country. The 6-5 guard from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, finished the regular season ranked fifth among first-year players in scoring (18.5), sixth in field-goal percentage (51.3%) and 13th in assists (3.5) — with 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game to boot.

Evangelos “Vangelis” Zougris, 20, has spent the past four seasons playing for Peristeri B.C. in the Greek Basketball League. The 6-8 forward averaged 7.9 points on 68.5% shooting with 4.6 rebounds across 23 appearances during the 2024-25 campaign. He has also earned playing time on Greece’s senior national team, logging five games in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.

Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

NIL

Julian Lewis: College Football Rising Star with $100 Million NIL Ambitions

Published

5 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Julian Lewis, a freshman at Colorado Buffaloes, is being compared to NIL earners like Shedeur Sanders and Cooper Flagg, despite doubts about his potential. An article suggested Lewis could target $100 million in NIL earnings, but critics argue that this is unrealistic given the current landscape of college athletics. With an early NIL valuation of $1.1 million, a successful debut season could enhance his status, yet reaching Sanders’ $6.5 million from 2024 seems improbable. The investment focus for Colorado is shifting towards developing undervalued players rather than replicating past NIL spending. Operators in the college sports sector may require a significant overhaul for Lewis to approach such lofty financial figures.

By the Numbers

Julian Lewis currently has an NIL valuation of $1.1 million.
Shedeur Sanders earned $6.5 million in NIL deals in 2024.

Yes, But

While ambitious projections exist for Lewis, experts highlight that reaching such figures requires monumental changes in the college sports NIL framework. Detractors emphasize that current market conditions and potential federal regulations put long-term earnings at risk.

State of Play

Colorado is shifting its investment strategy from high NIL spending to player development.
Current NIL deals focus on enhancing player branding rather than reaching unprecedented sums.

What’s Next

The upcoming college season will be crucial for Lewis to establish his brand and boost his NIL valuation. Observers will watch how the Buffaloes adapt their strategy to balance player development with earnings potential.

Bottom Line

While Julian Lewis may have a promising start in NIL earnings, the notion of him reaching $100 million is highly speculative. The focus must shift towards sustainable growth and development in college athletics amidst evolving regulations and market dynamics.

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Michigan State basketball gets top

It’s been a busy offseason for Michigan State basketball. The Spartans started things off by losing Jase Richardson to the NBA Draft and Tre Holloman (NC State), Xavier Booker (UCLA), and Gehrig Normand (Santa Clara) to the transfer portal. On top of that, Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler, and Szymon Zapala also moved on as they […]

Published

5 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It’s been a busy offseason for Michigan State basketball.

The Spartans started things off by losing Jase Richardson to the NBA Draft and Tre Holloman (NC State), Xavier Booker (UCLA), and Gehrig Normand (Santa Clara) to the transfer portal. On top of that, Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler, and Szymon Zapala also moved on as they each exhausted their eligibility and that meant that Tom Izzo needed to live in the transfer portal.

Izzo landed Kaleb Glenn, Trey Fort, Divine Ugochukwu, and Denham Wojcik in the transfer portal while also bringing in Cam Ward and Jordan Scott with the 2025 class. They return key starters from last season like Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, and Carson Cooper, but a recent injury to Glenn has hurt the outlook of the upcoming campaign.

The roster for the upcoming season has plenty of talent, but the fact that it’s so unproven worries some fans and experts.

This is going to be a really young Spartan team in 2025-26.

According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, that won’t much matter as the Spartans are still projected to earn a top-four seed for a second straight season.

Lunardi has Michigan State as a 4-seed in his way-too-early 2026 NCAA Tournament projections which were updated a couple of days ago. The Spartans would be facing Miami(OH) in the first round.

Other Big Ten teams to earn bids in Lunardi’s projected tourney field were:

Purdue (1-seed)
Michigan (2-seed)
UCLA (4-seed)
Illinois (4-seed)
Ohio State (6-seed)
Wisconsin (6-seed)
USC (7-seed)
Oregon (7-seed)
Iowa (10-seed)
Maryland (10-seed)

Michigan State, in this projection, would be getting the third-best overall seed in the Big Ten, depending on whether UCLA or Illinois are considered higher 4-seeds.

I’m not buying into the hype of some of the top teams listed, but I do like where Michigan State stands heading into the season. Experts believe the Spartans will be good, but just not quite good enough to repeat as Big Ten champs.

Right where Izzo likes to be.