OT: Thousands of college athletes are $40 million richer.

[Kibitzer]

Collectively.

A settlement was reached with a video game company which results in $40 million becoming available to divvy up among many thousands of college athletes, including some still enrolled, for use of their likenesses on video games. Big question: Will undergraduates lose their amateur status by accepting money from this settlement?

This action is related to the major O'Bannon et al case vs. the NCAA, now scheduled to go to trial on June 9. Yet another case ("Keller") is scheduled for trial in 2015.

It's all very complicated and sports pundits will have a field day with all this legal turmoil. I think that if I were on the NCAA payroll I would hasten to update my resume.

 

[ThisJustIn]

It's what I keep asking, Kib. Not IF college athletes (and I mean men's football and basketball in the top 30, say) get compensation, but HOW. Wonder if a trust fund thingy is possible, something like one of the sports shoe companies set up for a pro basketball player - he'd be broke if he'd have had unlimited access to his shoe revenue...

 

[intlzncster]

It's what I keep asking, Kib. Not IF college athletes (and I mean men's football and basketball in the top 30, say) get compensation, but HOW. Wonder if a trust fund thingy is possible, something like one of the sports shoe companies set up for a pro basketball player - he'd be broke if he'd have had unlimited access to his shoe revenue...

Whatever it is, I'd like to see it be a post college thing with the caveat of required graduation (within a certain number of number of years - 6 (?) total + injury exceptions). If a guy wants to go pro early without graduating, that's on him.