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When Wisconsin native Reese Brantmeier graduated from high school in 2022, she was the top tennis recruit in the country. She could have gone pro then, but her family “is a strong advocate of academics,” she said, so she accepted a scholarship to play for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
But there was a catch. Brantmeier had already played in professional tournaments, including the 2021 and 2022 U.S. Opens, and had performed well enough to bring home some cash. While the NCAA doesn’t prohibit students from playing pro events, they can only accept enough prize money to cover their expenses.
Brantmeier and her family believe she followed the rules dutifully, but the NCAA deemed several of her 2021 expenses unwarranted. She was found ineligible to play in her freshman fall season and directed to pay a $5,100 fine to charity.
At the same time, some other college athletes are now finding themselves swimming in money thanks to the 2021 Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Alston, which allowed them to be compensated via name, image, and likeness deals and endorsements.
Brantmeier hasn’t received any of those, despite her dominance in the sport. And it seemed unfair to her that collegiate athletes in individual sports like tennis, golf, and track can’t keep their winnings. So, when lawyers reached out about mounting a challenge, she was receptive.
Now Brantmeier is the named plaintiff in a class-action suit against the NCAA in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Reporter Paul Wachter takes the story from the court to the courtroom.
Reese Brantmeier v. NCAA
Collegiate tennis players are barred from keeping their earnings from competitions like the U.S. Open. A lawsuit led by a UNC-Chapel Hill star seeks to challenge that.
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