In August, after first meeting with representatives from the NCAA and power conferences over a possible landmark settlement, Steve Berman, one of the country’s leading class-action attorneys, was so encouraged by the discussion that he got into his Uber without his luggage.
“I thought, ‘We are going to make history!’” he said in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports. “And then I realized I left my bags behind!”
More than nine months later, Berman, co-counsel Jeffrey Kessler and their legal teams have reached a historic settlement agreement that will distribute $2.8 billion in back damages to former athletes and, perhaps more consequential, features a revenue-sharing model for athletes in the future.