Ninth Circuit Affirms Settlement in ‘Grant-in-Aid’ Class Action

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the final approval of a $209 million settlement of the damages portion of a “grant-in-aid” antitrust class action reached by Skadden on behalf of the NCAA, rejecting the objections of former student-athlete Darrin Duncan. The settlement resolves the portion of the case in which the plaintiffs claimed they suffered monetary damages as a result of former NCAA bylaws limiting the value of an athletic “grant-in-aid” to tuition, fees, room, board and books. Pursuant to the settlement, certain Football Bowl Subdivision and Division I men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes are eligible for benefits potentially up to, but not beyond, “cost of attendance.”