A lawsuit brought by US college athletes seeking a share of television and videogame rights revenue can proceed, a US judge has ruled.
The Reuters news agency said that US District Judge Claudia Wilken had ruled that a group of players could sue the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a class action. The action aims to change rules that prevent athletes from earning money on their images.
However, Wilken also ruled that athletes cannot seek money damages for financial losses they suffered in the past.
First filed in 2009, the case aims to create a new system whereby income from the multi-billion dollar broadcast and videogame college sports rights deals would go into a fund.
Sathya Gosselin, an attorney for the athletes, said that athletes would only receive the money after they were no longer NCAA-eligible.
“The NCAA has long decried this litigation as threatening college sports as we know it, when in fact the relief sought here is narrow,” Gosselin said.
NCAA chief legal officer Don Remy said the organisation was pleased that Wilken removed damages from the case.
“We have long maintained that the plaintiffs in this matter are wrong on the facts and wrong on the law,” Remy added. “This ruling is one step closer to validating that position.”
Reuters said that the NCAA is considering an appeal against Wilken’s ruling, which was issued on Friday.