UPDATE: Judge Wilken Renders Additional Decision Against NCAA

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California has continued her ongoing pattern of decisions against the NCAA by granting class-action status for the damages portion of the ongoing House v NCAA action. The case involves current and former student-athletes who have sued the NCAA and major college conferences for anti-trust violations and seek a multi-billion dollar award for the student-athlete class of plaintiffs who have been prevented from profiting from the use their names, images and likenesses (NIL).

Judge Wilken's grant of class-action status follows her recent decision certifying a class seeking injunctive relief in the same matter in late September. It now authorizes potential damages to be awarded to a class well beyond the named plaintiffs who initiated this action, potentially expanding to a class of thousands of current and former student-athletes.