NCAA Stands Alone; Video Gamers Mourn…for now.

College Football General35

NCSNCAA14

Get it while you can.

On Thursday, both EA Sports and the Collegiate Licensing Company announced settlements in cases involving more than a hundred thousand current and former student-athletes whose names and likenesses have been used without permission or compensation.

While not all of the terms, nor the consequences thereof, of such settlements are yet clear, two of the immediate issues are that the NCAA now stands alone in its ongoing fight for its now much embattled “rules of amateurism”; and there will be no longer be a NCAA Football video game produced by EA Sports.  At least not next year.

EA Sports and CLC settle lawsuit by Ed O’Bannon plaintiffs; NCAA remains as lone defendant (AL.com)

Terms of the settlements are confidential until presented to the court for preliminary approval, the filing said. “This settlement does not affect Plaintiffs’ claims against Defendant National Collegiate Athletic Association,” the court filing stated.

EA, which earlier today announced it won’t produce its 2014 college football video game, reached similar settlements in cases brought by former Rutgers football player Ryan Hart and former West Virginia football player Shawne Alston.

More than 100,000 athletes will be eligible for compensation at varying amounts depending on each class members’ claims, said Rob Carey, an attorney for Keller, the former Nebraska and Arizona State quarterback.

“This is a big day and it’s nice to get one big piece of it resolved,” Carey said. “It’s like you’re already in Vegas and still gambling because we still have the NCAA portion of the case that I think everybody on our team likes better than EA because of the hypocrisy.”

The NCAA, EA and the lead attorney for the O’Bannon antitrust plaintiffs declined to comment about the settlement. An attorney for CLC referred questions to the company, which could not be immediately reached for comment.

Earlier today, the NCAA told USA Today Sports it will fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Also, EA said its popular college football video game won’t be produced next year and may be gone for good.

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EA drops football in ’14, settles cases as NCAA fights (USAToday.com)

The NCAA’s resolve seemed almost welcomed by lawyers representing the plaintiffs, who said they are looking forward to being able to concentrate their efforts on one case and one target.

“Fantastic,” Robert Carey said. “We’ll see them in court.”

Said Michael Hausfeld, another lead attorney for the plaintiffs: “The NCAA now stands alone in its hypocrisy. When you hire a new firm to deal with a trial and a firm to deal with an appeal, it doesn’t say a lot about your confidence in your position.”

Warren Zola, who teaches sports law at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, said Thursday’s settlement leaves the NCAA in a difficult position.

“You are the last defendant standing in a case where everyone else felt that settling was the best solution,” he said.

EA Sports: No NCAA Football 15 video game, series possibly done (CBSSports.com)

“We have been stuck in the middle of a dispute between the NCAA and student-athletes who seek compensation for playing college football. Just like companies that broadcast college games and those that provide equipment and apparel, we follow rules that are set by the NCAA — but those rules are being challenged by some student-athletes.

“For our part, we are working to settle the lawsuits with the student-athletes. Meanwhile, the NCAA and a number of conferences have withdrawn their support of our game. The ongoing legal issues combined with increased questions surrounding schools and conferences have left us in a difficult position — one that challenges our ability to deliver an authentic sports experience, which is the very foundation of EA Sports games.”

“This is probably one of the most disappointing outcomes in recent video game history,” said Jonas Franklin of gaming review site ArmChairEmpire.com “Not only was this one of my favorite games, it was one of the most popular sports franchises out there,” he continues and he is right.

I personally have fond memories over the NCAA Xbox leagues my friends and I put together, it was serious business and some of the best video game memories of my life. Just another way that the NCAA continually finds was to suck.

Discuss amongst yourselves….

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About Wufpacker

A 2nd generation alumnus and raised since birth to be irrationally dedicated to all things NC State. Class of '88 and '92.

College Football General

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Viewing 11 posts - 26 through 36 (of 36 total)
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  • 09/27/2013 at 5:32 PM #122242
    tjfoose1
    Participant

    Unrelated, just heard on the radio NC State just received it’s largest ever donation. $50 million from the Park Foundation.

    I want my piece of that pie too.

    Link

    09/27/2013 at 5:55 PM #122243
    packpowerfan
    Participant

    Great, let’s lance the idea of college sports games just before the new generation of consoles comes out. I was holding out hope that NCAA BB would find a niche to return in (I still play College Hoops 2K8 with an updated roster each year…arguably the second best basketball game behind the annual NBA 2K iterations), and NOW we lose football? It would be nice to see what these design houses could do after a little break to freshen themselves, much like I hope we’ll see from 2K after they finally bury their MLB IP. Even better was going to be seeing these games running on next gen hardware.

    I are sad.

    09/27/2013 at 6:41 PM #122244
    packplantpath
    Participant

    Two words are all that need to be said.

    Title nine.

    Players will not be paid according to their estimated contribution to the school due to title nine. Schools don’t have the funds to pay all athletes. So nobody gets paid.

    09/27/2013 at 7:58 PM #122245
    TheCOWDOG
    Moderator

    Just run with it ‘foose. Got nothin’ to add to what is probably the best take in here.

    I’m somewhat surprised that no one has taken up the other former player class action suit that came out last week. It involves a former Wolfpacker and teammate, and one I’m mulling over, myself.

    Google Dan Ahern, if you haven’t picked up on this one.

    09/27/2013 at 9:02 PM #122246
    Wulfpack
    Participant

    The ACC slate is awful tomorrow. Some pretty good games nationally. At least it is betterr than last week. Here’s what I will be watching:

    UGA/LSU
    Bama/Ole Miss
    Ohio State/Wiscy
    Notre Dame/Oklahoma

    09/27/2013 at 11:38 PM #122247
    MISTA WOLF
    Participant

    UGA in a nail biter
    BAMA in an asswoopin
    WISCONSIN in an upset
    and a QUASIMODO bell – ringing of the Sooners. (I’d wish for worse but I don’t want homeland security contacted)

    09/28/2013 at 1:06 AM #122248
    PackerInRussia
    Participant

    Mista Wolf, you mean you’re not gonna join the lawsuit and get your $96? I’ve wondered how that works. Will the athletes have until a certain date to join and then they divide the $40 mil evenly among them (minus legal fees, etc.)? Will anyone try to make the case that they should get more money than others (someone from Alabama vs. Southwest Connecticut State for example)?

    09/28/2013 at 1:55 AM #122249
    MISTA WOLF
    Participant

    It was an honor for me to be a very small part of the game. Unfortunately, something has changed the perception and outlook on life overall in a short period of time. It’s all about self entitlement now. Everyone feels their owed something. A free education and getting to play football for 2 extra years was more than I could ever ask for.

    09/28/2013 at 8:41 AM #122250
    BJD95
    Keymaster

    Yup, we can just agree to disagree. It’s clear that we will never be able to convince one another of the opposite. Free country and all that!

    I am all for revising Title IX to address the issue of video game rights fees/outside endorsements and revenue sports. That may not be realistic, but it’s the best solution IMHO.

    09/28/2013 at 10:04 AM #122251
    1time
    Member

    ^^^ Couldn’t possibly agree any more than I do with what tjfoose said 3 comments back!!! Right on target.

    What I do not understand, and apparently never will, is when people look at situation like this one, they look at all of the different elements involved, they carefully weigh it all out in their minds, and then come up the fact that somewhere, somehow, something has gone awry and is now dreadfully wrong with the entire scheme of things. So then, after all of that reflection, what are those folk’s solution to this current plight, this money grubbing mess???

    Right in the midst of all of their whining and complaining about how out of balance, biased, and how bad things have become in collegiate athletics in general, they sit here and say, “Hell yeah!!! Stay the course, just keep on going!!! Let’s not even attempt to right the very obvious wrongs. Let’s simply concede the fact that college athletics have become corrupt and have been whored out to the highest bidder. Let’s all agree, let’s even go so far as to condone those simple and very obvious facts of the matter, let’s stay the course and keep it going just like it is. Let’s throw even more money into the mix, let’s add more likely avenues so that further corruption can really take hold!!! We’ll even let it sink even further down into the high school ranks and beyond. And hey, that’s our solution for this entire situation. That oughta fix everything, right?”

    I’m old, but whatever happened to the word, “broken”, being a precursor to the word, “fix?”

    Just to add, if some of these kids still feel it’s unfair and really do not want their likenesses on EA Sports or anything of the sort, then simply allow them to opt out when they into enter into the college ranks. So, when EA Sports made up their future rosters, instead of that player being listed, they would have a player with all of the same athletic skills, maybe make him look gray in complexion, give him a generic name like John Doe, or Joe Smith, and simply play the game as always without bothering that kid. Wouldn’t that work??? Ha!!! I wonder how many of these truly unfortunate and overly humble kids would sign on the dotted line if that option were to be made available to them???

    You can lawyer anything to death if you wish, but like the commercial says, “It’s not that complicated.”

    04/03/2017 at 6:19 PM #122257
    McCallum
    Participant

    Was that Karl Hess on the EA Sports NCAA 2013 edition or a walking phallus?

    McCallum

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