College tennis star files lawsuit over NCAA rule restricting players from earning prize money

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The advent of name, image, and likeness (NIL) continues to fuel a firestorm across the college sports landscape.

NCAA rules stipulate that top college football players and any other sort of athlete can collect lucrative payments in exchange for their autograph, their image appearing in an advertisement, and more under current NIL policies.

However, some athletes participate in individual sports where prize money is often attached to a given tournament or event. Currently, college tennis players who are awarded money for winning an event are strictly prohibited from collecting their winnings. The rule also applies to swimmers, gymnasts and others.

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Reese Brantmeier and partner Reilly Tran of North Carolina at play during the Division I Womens Tennis Championship against NC State at the USTA National Campus on May 20, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. (Preston Mack/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

But, North Carolina Tar Heels star tennis player Reese Brantmeier is fighting back against the rules that have likely cost her tens of thousands of dollars. Brantmeier was forced to begin forgoing payments when she started competing in professional tennis tournaments around the age of 14. 

Collecting payments could have put her college eligibility in jeopardy.

Brantmeier suffered a season-ending injury in February. She also recently added her name to the growing list of athletes who oppose the NCAA rulebook as it relates to NIL.

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"Over the last three years, tens of millions of dollars have