Denard Robinson Among Former Michigan Players Suing NCAA, BTN for $50M over NIL

Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards are among the former Michigan athletes who filed a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA and Big Ten Network, alleging they deserved to be compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness.

“The lawsuit says the NCAA and Big Ten Network ‘have systematically exploited these iconic moments’ that the players created during their careers at Michigan,” ESPN’s Jake Trotter wrote. “The lawsuit is on behalf of those who played for Michigan prior to 2016.”

The plaintiffs are looking to receive more than $50 million.

Michael Martin and Shawn Crable are also listed in the suit, which alluded to other former Wolverines players responsible for memorable moments in the program’s history. Desmond Howard’s punt return against Ohio State in 1991, Tim Biakabutuka running for 313 yards against the Buckeyes in 1995, and Anthony Carter’s game-winning touchdown against Indiana in 1979 are all mentioned without naming the specific players.

“These historic moments, replayed countless times across various media platforms, captivate audiences and generate significant revenue through advertisements, licensing deals, and merchandise sales,” the lawsuit said.

For years, the NCAA maintained a student-athlete’s image rights in perpetuity, long after they had left college.

The status quo began to shift when former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon sued the NCAA in 2009. O’Bannon, the Most Outstanding Player in the 1995 men’s basketball tournament, had been alerted to the fact his likeness was being represented in an EA Sports video game, something for which he wasn’t being compensated.

A judge ruled in his favor in 2014, a moment that transformed college sports forever. That eventually paved the way for active athletes to be compensated in NIL deals, while the NCAA’s authority in a regulatory capacity has steadily waned.

There’s no question Robinson, Edwards, Martin and Crable lost out on a lot of money by suiting up for Michigan when they did. The first two in particular would’ve benefited significantly in the NIL era.

Robinson, who graced the cover of NCAA Football 14 after leaving the Wolverines, was an All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2010. Edwards was the Biletnikoff Award winner and a unanimous All-American as a senior in 2004, and he remains first all-time at Michigan in the three major receiving categories.