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Thursday, October 29, 2026

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202627 Legal Statement D3 Lawsuit

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Scott Bearby <@ncaa.org>
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Subject: Legal Statement
To: <mcandrse@wvstateu.edu>

Web Version

Colleagues,

On Friday, Oct. 23, current and former Division III student-athletes filed a new federal antitrust class action lawsuit against the NCAA in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Printz v. NCAA.

The complaint challenges Bylaw 15.01.3, which prohibits Division III institutions from awarding financial aid based on athletics leadership, ability, participation, or performance. Plaintiffs allege that the rule unlawfully suppresses compensation for Division III student-athletes in violation of federal antitrust law. They seek certification of a nationwide damages class consisting of Division III student-athletes who participated from October 21, 2022, forward, as well as an injunctive relief class consisting of all current and future Division III student-athletes. The complaint also seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting continued enforcement of Bylaw 15.01.3.

This is not the first challenge to Division III's prohibition on athletics-based financial aid. In Rock v. NCAA, a federal antitrust case filed in the Southern District of Indiana, the court dismissed claims challenging Division III's financial aid restrictions. In March 2013, the court granted the NCAA's motion to dismiss, concluding that the challenged rules were procompetitive and lawful as a matter of law. We will pursue all options to obtain a similar, early dismissal of the Printz case.

There are no immediate case deadlines. We will continue to monitor the litigation and provide updates to the membership as developments warrant.

Scott Bearby
NCAA Chief Legal Officer

This email was sent to NCAA athletics directors, conference commissioners, presidents and chancellors, general counsel, faculty athletics representatives, senior compliance administrators, senior woman administrators and sports information directors in all three divisions, the Division I Student-Athlete Advocacy Committee, the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, as well as NCAA staff.