They’re still in the process of interpreting what Alston means financially to college athletes.
Anyone want to bet which way this goes? Or after it does, which school goes off to the races first? (After the inevitable lip service about how this is going to ruin schools financially, of course.)
Filed under See You In Court, The NCAA
Adam Sasser, a former Georgia baseball player who was kicked off the team for using racial epithets at a Georgia football game in 2018, has filed a federal lawsuit against UGA, the state board of regents and several other parties.
Identified only as “John Doe” in court documents, Sasser alleges violations of his constitutional rights for free speech under the first and 14th amendments as well as breach of contract. He seeks undisclosed “compensatory and punitive damages” for loss of income and employment opportunities as a result of UGA’s actions.
I wonder if they’ll make Justin Fields testify.
Filed under Georgia Football, See You In Court
If you need any more proof that 2020 has run completely off the rails, look no further than this.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is ready to recommend that Ohio State University officials file a lawsuit seeking monetary damages from the Big Ten and member schools that voted against playing football this autumn.
A team of state lawyers studying Ohio State’s contracts with the Big Ten believe an “excellent contract claim for several tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue” can be demanded in a lawsuit, Yost told The Dispatch…
“I think we have a cause of action” for violating contracts between the Big Ten and Ohio State and for illegal interference in a business relationship, Yost said.
“If these negotiations (over playing football) fall apart, we will be recommending legal action to our client, Ohio State University,” he said, adding his office believes the Big Ten lacked legal authority to cancel or delay the football season.
Yost, in case you were wondering, is an Ohio State grad. Although I’m not sure his alma mater welcomes his help.
Comment was being sought Wednesday evening from Ohio State University administration officials. Asked for his comment on Yost’s statements, OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith provided a one-word response: “Nothing.”
In case you’re also wondering if there’s anything else the conference has done for which Yost believes it’s overstepped its authority, well…
A Big Ten decision to begin playing football later would cancel talk of a lawsuit, Yost said, although he expressed doubts about the conference’s legal ability to cancel non-conference games.
This year is nuts.
Filed under Big Ten Football, See You In Court
I’m surprised this took as long as it did to happen.
Eight Nebraska football players filed a lawsuit against the Big Ten seeking a reversal of its decision to postpone the fall sports season and greater clarity as to how league leadership arrived at that conclusion.
The World-Herald obtained a copy of the 13-page complaint, which contends the league’s Aug. 11 action to postpone should be overturned because it didn’t follow established procedures in the decision-making process and was “unjustified” based on flawed and misapplied medical information. The suit is being filed in the District Court of Lancaster County…
The players’ attorney, Mike Flood, said the lawsuit “isn’t about money or damages, it’s about real-life relief.”
When they say it isn’t about the money…
Filed under Big Ten Football, See You In Court
I mentioned yesterday that Tom Mars, once one of the most feared names in college football legal tactics, seems to be losing it. Here’s another example of what I meant:
![Screenshot_2020-08-20 Chris Vannini 😷 on Twitter One week ago, Mars told SI I know and have talked with some of the best p[...]](https://blutarsky.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/screenshot_2020-08-20-chris-vannini-f09f98b7-on-twitter-one-week-ago-mars-told-si-i-know-and-have-talked-with-some-of-the-best-p....png?w=500)
I dunno. Maybe he’s just trying to hep.
Filed under Big Ten Football, See You In Court
Now this is more like the NCAA I’ve come to know and love.
The “many already allowed by Division I rules” bit is a nice touch, don’t you think? Totally explains why Team Emmert has been fighting like a bitch to have the ruling overturned on appeal.
Comments Off on TFW you try to pretend the horse isn’t already out of the barn
Filed under Blowing Smoke, See You In Court, The NCAA
You know, I can actually hear conference commissioners’ balls shrink as they read this:
But for those pressing forward to play, heed one warning: The lawyers will be circling. Not the ones counseling conferences to avoid trifling with players’ health, but the ones who will be doing the suing if, God forbid, a player dies, has long-term damage or career-threatening complications. In an email to Sports Illustrated, prominent college sports attorney Tom Mars offered this chilling view of what the Big 12, ACC and SEC could be getting into:
“Whatever conference(s) decides to play football this fall will be taking a ridiculously high risk they may soon regret. I know and have talked with some of the best plaintiff’s lawyers in the country this week, and they’re praying the SEC, Big 12 and/or the ACC are greedy enough to stay the course. If things go sideways, the plaintiff’s Bar will immediately get their hands on the internal financial analyses of the schools (a FOIA layup), get the conference financials through the discovery process, and then just stand in front of the jurors and point to the conferences that decided not to risk the health of their student-athletes. Good Lord, I’d hate to be the lawyers defending those cases.”
And the attorneys lining up to represent plaintiffs? “These are lawyers who’ve already slain bigger dragons than the SEC, and they can afford to finance the most expensive litigation on the planet. As a coalition, they’d be the legal equivalent of the Death Star.”
But fear not, fellas! Brian Kemp’s got ‘yer backs.
“Across the South, college football is a sacred tradition, and I want to see it played this year if we can ensure the safety of players, coaches and staff,” Kemp said in a social media message.
“Based on recent discussions with university leaders and sports officials, I am confident that they are putting the health and well-being of our student athletes first.”
Well, shit, he’s nailed everything else about the pandemic so far. What could go wrong listening to him now?
Filed under Georgia Football, Political Wankery, See You In Court
They’re having a helluva summer.
If you don’t think Nick Saban’s had a few interns gaming this possibility for the past few months, you don’t know Nick Saban.
Filed under See You In Court, The NCAA
Way to go, geniuses.
You’ve now gotten the highest court in the land on record as not supporting your take on college athlete compensation. Nice.
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UPDATE:
Those of you who have been screaming about what NIL compensation would do to competitive balance better hang on to your hats.
Filed under See You In Court, The NCAA
The NCAA is probably sphinctering up today.
In practical terms, what does that mean?
](https://blutarsky.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/screenshot_2020-08-05-roger-pielke-jr-on-twitter-the-potential-importance-of-the-alston-case-for-college-athletes-via-danie...1.png?w=500)
With the NCAA out of the picture, it’ll be up to each conference to set its own rules about education-related compensation. Competition, in other words.
The NCAA is going to appeal, which means it’s taking the position that college athletes should be denied this opportunity. Nice optics, guys.
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UPDATE: Get a load of this horseshit.
Filed under Academics? Academics., See You In Court, The NCAA
