NEW YORK, July 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal judge has granted preliminary approval of a landmark class action settlement that overhauls NCAA rules restricting high school student-athletes from keeping prize money earned in non-NCAA competitions. In addition, the NCAA has agreed to pay $2,000,000 to be divided among high school and college tennis athletes who submit valid claims showing forfeiture of prize money from March 19, 2020, through November 21, 2025. The settlement, reached in Brantmeier and Joint v. National Collegiate Athletic Association in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, was led by Peggy Wedgworth of national plaintiffs' law firm Milberg PLLC.
k5:G :5lQ5:G#6=62D6w:89=:89E4dd`Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56C\E@Ai `AI D@=:5j 3@C56C\3@EE@>i `AI D@=:5j 3@C56C\4@=@Ci vC2Jj 4@=@Ci 8C2Jj H:5E9i a__AIj 7=@2Ei =67Ej A@D:E:@?i C6=2E:G6j >2C8:?i dAI `_AI dAI `_AIj E6IE\2=:8?i ;FDE:7JjQ 4@?E6?E65:E23=6lQ72=D6QmQ%9:D D9@HD H92E 92AA6?D H96? 2E9=6E6D 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ 492==6?86 2 DJDE6> E92E 92D @A6C2E65 F?4964<65 7@C 72C E@@ =@?8]Qk^5:Gm
kAmr9:67 s:DEC:4E yF586 r2E96C:?6 r] t28=6D 8C2?E65 AC6=:>:?2CJ 2AAC@G2= @? yF?6 ah[ a_ae[ 7:?5:?8 E96 D6EE=6>6?E Q72:C[ C62D@?23=6[ 2?5 256BF2E6Q F?56C #F=6 ab @7 E96 u656C2= #F=6D @7 r:G:= !C@465FC6] %96 42D6 H2D 3C@F89E @? 3692=7 @7 2 4=2DD @7 E6??:D DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D C6AC6D6?E65 3J &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 E6??:D DE2?5@FE #66D6 qC2?E>6:6C[ E96 a_ad }rpp D:?8=6D 492>A:@? 2?5 prr !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C[ 2?5 AC@76DD:@?2= E6??:D A=2J6C |2J2 y@:?E[ H9@ 492==6?865 }rpp CF=6D E92E 7@C465 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D E@ 7@C76:E E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 AC:K6 >@?6J 62C?65 :? E@FC?2>6?ED DF49 2D E96 &]$] ~A6? 367@C6 2?5 5FC:?8 E96:C 4@==686 42C66CD]k^Am
kAmQk6>m%9:D D6EE=6>6?E AC@G:56D C62= 492?86 7@C E6??:D 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D H9@ H6C6 7@C465 E@ 49@@D6 36EH66? E96:C DA@CE 2?5 E96:C 4@==686 6=:8:3:=:EJ[k^6>mQ D2:5 (658H@CE9[ $6?:@C !2CE?6C 2E |:=36C8] k6>mQ#66D6 2?5 |2J2 DE@@5 FA 282:?DE CF=6D E92E 4@DE ?F>6C@FD 2E9=6E6D 7C@> 4@==64E:?8 62C?:?8D E96J 925 6G6CJ C:89E E@ <66A] %9:D 42D6 D9@HD H92E 92AA6?D H96? 2E9=6E6D 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ 492==6?86 2 DJDE6> E92E 92D @A6C2E65 F?4964<65 7@C 72C E@@ =@?8]k^6>mQk^Am
kAm&?56C E96 D6EE=6>6?E[ E96 }rpp H:== 6=:>:?2E6 :ED CF=6 AC@9:3:E:?8 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D :? 2== DA@CED 7C@> <66A:?8 AC:K6 >@?6J 62C?65 367@C6 E96:C 4@==686 6?C@==>6?E—2 492?86 E92E 92D 2=C625J E2<6? 67764E] %96 }rpp 92D 2=D@ 28C665 E@ A2J Sa >:==:@? :?E@ 2 52>286D 7F?5[ E@ 36 5:DEC:3FE65 E@ E6??:D A=2J6CD 7C@> 3@E9 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 4@==686 H9@ 2C6 4=2DD >6>36CD 2?5 DF3>:E G2=:5 4=2:>D]k^Am
kAm%96 42D6 H2D 7:=65 27E6C qC2?E>6:6C[ E96? 2 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?E[ 62C?65 2AAC@I:>2E6=J Sd_[___ 4@>A6E:?8 2E E96 a_a` &]$] ~A6?[ 3FE H2D A6C>:EE65 F?56C }rpp CF=6D E@ <66A @?=J S`_[___ 2?5 D@>6 6IA6?D6D E@ AC6D6CG6 96C 4@==686 6=:8:3:=:EJ] y@:?E 72465 2 D:>:=2C 7@C76:EFC6 367@C6 =62G:?8 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %6I2D E@ EFC? AC@76DD:@?2=] y@:?E[ ?@H C2?<65 @? E96 (%p %@FC[ >256 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 9625=:?6D @? yF?6 b_[ a_ae[ 56762E:?8 $6C6?2 (:==:2>D—2 ab\E:>6 vC2?5 $=2> 492>A:@?—:? E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 (:>3=65@?]k^Am
kAm%96 D6EE=6>6?E :?4=F56D 2 h_\52J A6C:@5 7@C 4=2DD >6>36CD E@ @3;64E @C @AE @FE[ H:E9 2 5625=:?6 @7 $6AE6>36C ag[ a_ae] %96 4=2:>D A6C:@5 7@C 52>286D 4=2DD >6>36CD 368:?D yF=J `b[ a_ae] p 7:?2= 72:C?6DD 962C:?8 :D D4965F=65 7@C y2?F2CJ g[ a_af[ 367@C6 yF586 t28=6D :? vC66?D3@C@[ }@CE9 r2C@=:?2]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp3@FE |:=36C8 !{{rk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm|:=36C8 !{{r :D 2 ?2E:@?2= A=2:?E:77DV =2H 7:C> H:E9 >@C6 E92? d_ J62CD @7 6IA6C:6?46 C6AC6D6?E:?8 :?5:G:5F2=D[ 4@?DF>6CD[ 2?5 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D 282:?DE :?DE:EFE:@?D 2?5 4@CA@C2E:@?D :? 2?E:ECFDE[ 4=2DD 24E:@?[ 2?5 4@?DF>6C AC@E64E:@? =:E:82E:@?] %96 7:C> 92D C64@G6C65 >@C6 E92? Sd_ 3:==:@? 7@C 4=:6?ED @G6C :ED 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr=2DD >6>36CD H:E9 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 D6EE=6>6?E >2J G:D:Ek^DEC@?8m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lcfac``c\`U2>Aj9lc_ahhdahfgU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTauHHH]?422E6??:DAC:K6>@?6J4=2DD24E:@?]4@>TauU2>Aj2lE96Z42D6ZH63D:E6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8mE96 42D6 H63D:E6k^DEC@?8mk^2m kDEC@?8m@C 4@?E24E !688J (658H@CE9 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iAH658H@CE9o>:=36C8]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmAH658H@CE9o>:=36C8]4@>k^2m]k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?lu{hefgdU2>AjD5la_ae\_f\_aQ ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^7656C2=\4@FCE\8C2?ED\AC6=:>:?2CJ\2AAC@G2=\@7\?422\D6EE=6>6?E\:?\E6??:D\AC:K6\>@?6J\2?E:ECFDE\42D6\=65\3J\>:=36C8\b_ag`ebeb]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^7656C2=\4@FCE\8C2?ED\AC6=:>:?2CJ\2AAC@G2=\@7\?422\D6EE=6>6?E\:?\E6??:D\AC:K6\>@?6J\2?E:ECFDE\42D6\=65\3J\>:=36C8\b_ag`ebeb]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt |:=36C8k^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5lu{hefgdU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_f_a_h__!#0}t($0&$!#00000u{hefgdU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_f_aQ DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
