Sam Keller Believes EA SPORTS Lawsuit 'Accomplished' His Goal
On the July 12, 2017 edition of The Bottom Line with Mike'l Severe, former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller was asked about his lawsuit versus EA SPORTS and the NCAA which proved to the death knell - along with the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit - for the NCAA Football franchise in fall 2013.
When asked by Severe if he accomplished what he hoped to as part of the lawsuit, Keller responded "...I think we did. I enjoyed it and really got behind the principle of why." He went on to add that "My small part of it kind of brought some things to light and kicked things in motion, but it was a small part of a bigger, bigger battle. I think we shed some light on some things and definitely accomplished what we set out to do, but again it wasn't to be a world-changing thing."
The questions regarding the lawsuit were very topical given they came during the same week NCAA Football would have typically been released. However, one has to wonder what was truly accomplished given the debate over 'should players be paid; is a free education enough' (as Keller asks in the interview) have not been seriously answered or addressed by the NCAA, conferences, or member institutions.
Instead, all that happened was the cancellation of a product that increased awareness and legitimacy of the sport and as a result of the lawsuit settlement, players who opted in received an average payment of $1,600 while lawyers received $18 million dollars. At least publicly, none of the aforementioned entities have worked to address the issue of allowing players to allow use of their image or likeness. Though, in spring 2016 Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman stated she believed the issue was under consideration by the NCAA, but there has been no public news or information on this possibility since.
The questions and responses regarding the lawsuit versus EA SPORTS and the NCAA begin at the 7:20 mark of the interview with friend of TGT, The Bottom Line with Mike'l Severe. After listening to the interview, share your thoughts with the community.
