Judge gives final approval to settlement of ex-volunteer assistants' class-action lawsuit vs NCAA

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A federal judge in California has given final approval to a $303 million class-action lawsuit against the NCAA that will pay former volunteer coaches in sports other than baseball a minimum of $5,000 for unpaid work.

The class of 7,718 members were volunteer assistants between March 1, 2019, and July 1, 2023. By NCAA rule, they were prohibited from receiving pay or benefits. The rule was rescinded in January 2023 and the lawsuit was filed two months later in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California to resolve wage-fixing claims.

Judge William B. Shubb on Monday approved the minimum payment of $5,000 and an average payment of $27,000 per class member, and some could receive much more.

Shubb ruled each class member’s individual share will be determined by the school, sport and years in which he or she worked, and based on the pay to the lowest-compensated coach who worked on the same team at the same time.

Each of the five class representatives will receive additional $25,000 service awards, and attorneys for the plaintiffs were awarded a total of $91 million.

A similar settlement to a class-action lawsuit brought by volunteer baseball coaches was approved in September.

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