Former College Athletes Suing EA and NCAA, Right On

by bluesquire on Jul 4, 2009 11:29 AM EDT Comment 8 comments

Several former college football players have sued Electronic Arts and the NCAA over the unauthorized and uncompensated use of their likenesses for profit. link I personally think that it's about time.

I have long thought the NCAA has strayed from its core mission with regard to the big money sports of football and basketball. Division I football needs an end of the year tournament to determine the champion. The BCS is just too messy. I don't know a college football fan that thinks any differently. Yet, there curiously is no such tournament. Why? MONEY. Despite the increasing parity of college basketball, every year there are fewer mid-major teams in the NCAA tournament. I believe this year saw the fewest mid-majors since the tournament went to 64 teams. Why? MONEY.

This thing with EASports is yet another example. Everyone knows that EA games uses the likenesses of college athletes. EA and the NCAA are profiting. Why not the athletes? I personally think that NCAA doesn't have ground to stand on here. The royalties that college athletes would earn from EASports cannot be validly linked to any concerns about recruiting or fairness, since all athletes would get the same amount of compensation. This is unlike advertising, where only stars at top programs would be able to cash in on their likenesses. And it is unlike the old no-show jobs that big program athletes used to get at booster businesses. Nevertheless, the NCAA doesn't want athletes to receive royalties, whatsoever. Why? Because the NCAA wants to keep all the money for itself. I mean, why pay someone when you can exploint them for free?

0 recs | Comment 8 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I Hope They Win Their Lawsuit

Either get $ or don’t use their images.

by FortyYearCatFan on Jul 4, 2009 11:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps This Is The Camel's Nose

Hopefully soon the hump and tail shall follow into the NCAA tent. After all student athletes have been “humped” long enough.

"The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of its political cares."

--Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 12, 27 November 1787

by Wild Weasel on Jul 4, 2009 2:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

EA should not ...

… use the images of athletes without permission. The NCAA should not be able to grant that permission.

On the other hand, using the same jersey number and same general physical characteristics without using the likeness or name should be acceptable, as long as there are no other characteristics presented which allow the player to be clearly identified. The example given, a quarterback for Florida of the exact same size, weight, handedness and home state as Tim Tebow is probably crossing that line.

What the game companies should do is permit the user to put in all those stats, as well as the names of the players, but not have them prepackaged. Facial likenesses should be generic, but modifiable.

Sorry, EA, it looks to me like you guys have gone over the line on this one.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Jul 4, 2009 4:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not EA -

seems to me it is NCAA that let EA do it and they (NCAA) is over the line…

only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team

by memphis wildcat on Jul 5, 2009 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Either way ...

… EA is just as guilty. They are perfectly well aware of the situation. The NCAA is culpable too, of course, but EA doesn’t get to hide behind that excuse.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Jul 5, 2009 8:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Easier said than done

If there is a settlement to pay royalties just how will it be distributed. The NCAA allows FBS schools up to 85 scholarship players; although a team can have unlimited non-scholarship players. Let’s assume just the 85 players on 117 FBS teams for a total of 9945 potential scholarship players.

Just how do royalties get distributed to the players? Shouldn’t walk-on players get a share?

I’m not saying the suit is wrong, it just looks like a motherlode for the lawyers as this could drag on for years and years.

by hoboat33 on Jul 5, 2009 5:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

crazy lawsuit

The kids get a free education, free room and board, get to travel all over the place, and often are able to use these things to further their banks after they graduate or go pro. How many of these “poor” athletes get jobs from boosters after they graduate or their playing days are over?

I’ll agree that they should get more money for “discretionary” spending but that’s it.

EA sports isn’t using their names and alter the players just enough to not take advantage of the kids yet enough to make these games more realistic. EA sports doesn’t provide the actual stats, names, etc. Those come from 3rd parties and typically other fans who create them and post them on the various boards.

Are you all this up in arms over CBS, ESPN, ABC, FOX, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, etc using images of the players in promotions, articles, and what have you?

I agree that the BCS is messed up and that we should have a playoff. I agree that the NCAA is corrupt and needs to be held more accountable but this lawsuit is crazy, imo.

http://kentuckyink.com

by cobbycobb on Jul 9, 2009 7:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The big crime here is in the fact that the players have no representation for their

side in this process. The NCAA reps themselves, and they do nothing to protect the student-athletes. The sorry part is that the NCAA uses that moniker as they see fit. If they want to seem high and mighty they make a point to say they are doing it for the student-athletes they represent. That’s the real joke here. And if EA and the NCAA left themselves wide open, then so be it….let ’em get ripped a new one.

Remember, we're having fun now!!!

by ALLBLUCAT on Jul 13, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs