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EA Sports settlement checks are being sent and players are pleased

Graham Watson

The checks for current and former college football and basketball players are starting to roll in thanks to a settlement for players who were featured in EA Sports NCAA-branded video games.

Several players took to Twitter to either thank the NCAA and/or EA Sports, or just talk about their lump sums, which ranged anywhere from a max of $7,622 to a low of $100. Leonard Aragon, the attorney for Hagens Berman Sobol Shaprio who is handling the settlement, told CBSSports.com that 24,932 checks are being issued and the median settlement was $1,071 and that the average players received was $1,237.

Checks were awarded via a point system developed by the lawyers, which took into account the amount of years played and which iterations of the games in which those players appeared.

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In mid-March, college football and basketball players were awarded a $60 million settlement for student-athletes who has appeared in EA Sports NCAA-franchise video games from 2003 to 2014.

In May 2009, former Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller filed suit against EA Sports for the use of his likeness. Former Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart filed a similar suit later in the year. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon, who got the original NCAA suit regarding use of likeness rolling, added EA Sports in 2010.

The $60 million settlement is actually only $40 million from EA Sports and $20 million from the NCAA. It was blended together for distribution purposes.

Keller, Hart and O’Bannon will get the lion’s share of the money distributed. A lawyer with knowledge of the Keller claim told Yahoo Sports that Keller will receive $23,390.89; Hart will receiver $16,478.09; and O’Bannon will receive 19,086.47.

While other players didn't get those kinds of totals, many were happy to get any sum of money.

Channing Crowder (Florida football, 2003-05):

Darien Johnson (New Mexico State football, 2010-13):

Dan Mulrooney (Boston College football, 2008-10):

Aragon told CBS Sports that nine current college football players are receiving checks in the settlement. In 2014, the NCAA declared that any current player receiving a settlement check would not be subject to the NCAA’s restriction about being paid for play.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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