It’s open season on the college sports establishment in the courts right now, but one effort to represent college athletes has failed.
A group of 10 former college football and basketball players, led by former Vanderbilt safety Javon Marshall, sought to recoup alleged damages from groups ranging from media entities such as ESPN, CBS, and NBC to the Big Ten Network, to conferences, and to licensing companies, arguing that those groups profited off of college athletes without their permission.
The suit was brought forward last October in a Nashville federal court, but on Friday U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp dismissed the suit, saying plaintiffs didn’t offer enough proof claiming they were entitled to payments.
The case piggybacked off of the August decision by U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken stating colleges cannot prevent athletes from earning money off their name, image and likeness.