7,718 volunteer NCAA coaches get $303M back pay settlement

A $303 million settlement was reached between a class of Division I coaches and the NCAA Tuesday. If approved, the agreement will resolve two-year-old wage-fixing claims for about 7,718 assistant coaches who worked in these programs from 2019 to 2023 and said they were not paid.

The agreement does not include baseball, as those coaches were in a different case.

"We are incredibly proud of this settlement which, if approved, will provide significant and meaningful compensation to thousands of hard-working coaches," attorneys Dennis J. Stewart of Gustafson Gluek PLLC, Michael Lieberman of Fairmark Partners LLP and Robert J. Gralewski of Kirby McInerney LLP said in a joint statement. They co-lead the plaintiffs' class.

"We look forward to the approval process and are committed to ensuring that these funds are distributed to coaches in a fair and efficient manner."

In September, U.S. Senior District Judge William B. Shubb approved a $49.25 million settlement for a class of Division I baseball assistant coaches who worked full time under the NCAA's former "volunteer" coach rule - which barred the category of coaches from receiving salary and benefits. The NCAA repealed the rule in 2023. Smart v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2:22-cv-02125 (E.D. Cal., filed Nov. 29, 2022).

According to the new Eastern District of California filing, Shubb is scheduled to determine the fairness of the proposed agreement on Dec. 22. Ray v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1:23-cv-00425 (E.D. Cal., filed March 21, 2023).

The NCAA defendant is represented by several attorneys at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP.