A group of more than 1,000 current and former volunteer coaches at the Division I level have filed a new lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing the organization of a wage-fixing conspiracy. The coaches claim that they have been victims of an illegal $0 salary cap, which was only lifted on July 1.
Despite the cap being lifted, the volunteer coaches are seeking monetary damages and class action certification. According to the plaintiffs, they perform similar duties to paid coaches, including technical instruction, strategy, and recruiting, which often amount to over 40 hours of work per week.
The coaches’ attorneys cited a previous case, Law v. NCAA, where an NCAA rule capping basketball coaches’ salaries at $16,000 was deemed illegal under antitrust law. As a result, the NCAA was forced to pay $54.5 million in damages.
The NCAA, however, argues that volunteer coaches cannot determine their financial losses because they cannot prove whether they would have been hired as paid coaches. The organization stated that the plaintiffs must show that the Division I institution they volunteered for would have hired an additional paid coach if the bylaws limiting the number of paid coaches did not exist.
The NCAA listed several alternatives to volunteer Division I coaching, such as Division II, Division III, high school, or the minor leagues. However, the coaches’ lawyers rejected these alternatives, arguing that the market for Division I coaches who are willing to work for free is separate from other coaching opportunities.
The case is scheduled for a hearing on July 24, where presiding judge William Shubb will decide on the NCAA’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The plaintiffs, led by former Fresno State volunteer wrestling coach Joseph Colon, filed the lawsuit in March in a California federal court.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by the NCAA. Previous lawsuits, such as those from Ed O’Bannon and Shawne Alston, led to the organization being subject to ordinary antitrust scrutiny. Another ongoing case, Johnson v. NCAA, seeks employee status for college athletes, while House v. NCAA aims to obtain backpay and broadcast revenue sharing totaling over $1 billion.
The NCAA has tried to persuade Congress to define college athletes as non-employees, but this has faced resistance. Despite former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker leading the organization, it seems unlikely that legislation will result in this definition.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the NCAA and the treatment of volunteer coaches. The decision by the presiding judge will determine the next steps and potential repercussions for all parties involved.
