NCAA's $2.8B settlement opposed by athlete advocacy group - ESPN

A prominent advocacy group for college athletes announced Thursday it opposes the $2.8 billion settlement agreement of antitrust litigation facing the NCAA and major college conferences, saying a plan for schools to share athletics revenue will actually limit the earning potential of the athletes.

The National College Players Association said the so-called House settlement aims to eliminate booster-funded collectives that are currently responsible for millions of dollars in payments to college athletes for the right to use their names, images and likenesses.

«This is an unjust settlement that would not only harm current athletes but future college athletes who are only in fourth grade,» NCPA executive director Ramogi Huma said.

A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday where a federal judge in California could rule on the plaintiffs' request for preliminary approval of the deal, which includes $2.78 billion in damages to former and current college athletes. Several requests to deny preliminary approval have already been filed, including one from the plaintiffs of another antitrust lawsuit filed in Colorado who declined to be part of the settlement agreement.

Even if granted preliminary approval, challenges to the settlement can still be brought before final approval in the months ahead.

«The NCPA will work to get this settlement rejected so that parties can come up with a fair settlement or go to trial,» Huma said in a statement. He declined to detail the NCPA's strategy.

The NCPA said it opposes the deal because it gives conferences the ability to end proposed revenue sharing if athletes are deemed to be employees with the right to collectively bargain with schools or leagues. That topic is the subject of several