Former CU football player files lawsuit against NCAA seeking television revenue split for players

Former CU running back Alex Fontenot has filed a class-action federal lawsuit against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences, seeking part of the television revenue earned by networks be split among college football players. 

Fontenot claims that television networks enjoy "ever-increasing" revenue from college football and basketball broadcasts, but that the athletes are entitled to receive a substantial portion of the revenue, given that it is brought in by the athletes' labor. Fontenot played for the Buffs between 2017 and 2022. 

He has filed a class action lawsuit against the NCAA, SEC, Pac-12 Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC. The suit claims networks have signed broadcast rights contracts worth billions of dollars, and that revenues have increased by 90% in recent years, with even more growth expected in the coming years. 

Fontenot's claim is that for many college athletes, their four to five years on campus is their only opportunity to earn compensation for their athletic skills, since only a handful will be able to pursue a professional career. 

The NCAA has a rule that prevents student athletes from receiving any portion of the television revenue deals. The suit aims to change that rule. 

The suit claims that athletes in other leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, and European soccer leagues, players receive 50-60% revenue, but that the NCAA operates "as a cartel that fixes wages (which is) a classic antitrust violation.," and that the NCAA president made nearly $3 million last year in wages.