Bloomberg reported that the National Collegiate Athletic Association has filed a petition for the presiding federal judge to postpone the trial over claims of collegiate players to receive compensation from the use of their images. The NCAA argued that the delay is a necessity until a decision has been reached regarding the settlement of the case involving Electronic Arts Inc. Moreover, the delay is being insisted until the US Supreme Court has ruled whether the practice is protected under the First Amendment as free speech.
In an email yesterday, NCAA chief legal officer Donald Remy said, "By moving to separate the video game claims from the trial scheduled to begin June 9, the NCAA seeks to prevent a massive and unnecessary duplication and prejudice."
The player compensation case was reportedly filed by ex-collegiate football and basketball players, who are challenging the sports league's rules on amateurism. Bloomberg said that the legal action is part of a growing movement by former collegiate players who are seeking compensation, increased medical benefits and control over images, and labor protections in the NCAA's current system. It has been regarded that collegiate players under the NCAA are not being paid for playing despite the league generating sponsorship, ticket and merchandise revenue aside from television contracts.
According to an April 25 court filing, NCAA said that should the Supreme Court decides that the players' claims are indeed covered under the First Amendment, then that part of the case will be dismissed. Bloomberg said that the hearing on the NCAA requests is set for June 5 before .S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. Wilken will preside over the players' claims' trial in an Oakland, California trial.
Bloomberg said that the NCAA is also asking the US Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn Wilken's ruling, which allowed thousands of players to seek a court order that would block the sports league from entering into licensing deals to get payments from the collegiate players' appearances on broadcasts and other footage.
