Former stars of the 2008 Kansas Jayhawks basketball team, including Brandon Rush, have launched a legal battle against the NCAA, accusing the organization of profiting from their likenesses without compensation. Filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawsuit seeks restitution for the commercial use of their names and images in various media over the years. The athletes argue that the NCAA’s restrictions on compensation violate antitrust laws, denying them fair economic opportunities post-college. The plaintiffs, spanning championship teams from 1997 to 2014, aim to establish class action status, potentially affecting thousands of former college athletes. The lawsuit, spearheaded by figures like Mario Chalmers of “Mario’s Miracle” fame, seeks over $5 million in damages and demands an end to what they describe as the NCAA’s anticompetitive practices.
