$60 Million Settlement Approved in NCAA Video Game Lawsuit

A federal judge approved a $60 million settlement for college athletes in a class-action lawsuit filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the video game maker Electronics Arts.

Steve Berman, a Seattle-based lawyer for the plaintiffs, confirmed that Claudia Wilken, a United States District Court judge for the Northern District of California, had approved the settlement during a hearing. Judge Wilken also ruled against the NCAA in the Ed O’Bannon case, which challenged the NCAA’s use of the names, images and likenesses of college athletes. That ruling is being appealed by the NCAA. The plaintiffs in the case against the NCAA and Electronics Arts claimed that college football and basketball players’ names and likenesses were illegally used in video games for years. Players who have appeared in the company’s NCAA football and basketball games have until July 31 to make claims as part of the settlement.