Four Former Michigan Football Players Suing Big Ten Network & NCAA

Four former Michigan football players have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Big Ten Network and NCAA.

The lawsuit is reportedly seeking more than $50 million. The four players – Braylon Edwards, Denard Robinson, Mike Martin and Shawn Crable – allege that they were unlawfully denied the ability to make money off of their name, image and likeness.

“According to the suit, this involves football players prior to June 15, 2016, “whose image or likeness has been used in any video posted by or licensed by the NCAA, Big Ten Network,” and any of their affiliates,”Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News reported. “The former players say they’re entitled to “a present and future share of any revenue generated from the use of their publicity rights,” that includes but is not limited to NIL.”

The quartet will be represented by Jim Acho of Cummings, McClorey, Davis and Acho P.L.C. He filed a 73-page lawsuit on their behalf on Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The lawsuit comes months after a settlement was reached in House v. NCAA. The settlement agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to student-athletes who played after 2016.

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Former Michigan football players not suing the university

While four former Wolverines are suing the Big Ten Network and NCAA, the University of Michigan was not named in the lawsuit. Acho discussed that decision with Chengelis in the report.

“This not a suit against the University of Michigan,” Acho said. “None of the many former players wanted to sue U-M – and neither did I. It is the NCAA that perpetuated this wrong for decades. They knew it was wrong to prevent players from capitalizing on the most valuable thing they have — their name and image. That has been rectified for current players, but the NCAA needs to correct the wrongs of the past.

“Today is the day for recompense.”

He noted that he has been contacted by multiple former players dating back five decades. Acho is expecting former players from other big time programs to follow the lead of the Michigan quartet and file a similar lawsuit.

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