UNC tennis player in final stages of settling NCAA class-action lawsuit

A settlement agreement between the NCAA and a University of North Carolina tennis player, Reese Brantmeier, is currently in the works to resolve a class-action lawsuit challenging the college sports governing body’s restrictions on prize money for tennis players. In a court filing on Wednesday, attorneys for both parties indicated that they had reached an agreement on key terms of the settlement and requested a 60-day extension for all legal proceedings related to the case.

Brantmeier, along with former University of Texas player Maya Joint, is leading the class-action lawsuit against the NCAA’s prohibition on college tennis players receiving prize money from tournaments like the US Open. The outcome of this lawsuit has the potential to impact thousands of current and former athletes in college tennis. Despite previously scheduled trial dates, there are indications that a trial may not be necessary if the parties can finalize the settlement agreement.

The legal battle between Brantmeier, Joint, and the NCAA began in 2024 when Brantmeier was compelled to relinquish a significant portion of her winnings from the US Open, totaling almost $50,000. In a preliminary order issued in July 2025, Chief US District Judge Catherine Eagles certified two classes of plaintiffs in the case, allowing Brantmeier, Joint, and other affected athletes to pursue injunctive relief and damages under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Eagles’ ruling highlighted the NCAA’s restrictions on prize money for Division I college tennis players, limiting pre-college athletes to $10,000 annually in prize money plus additional funds for tournament-related expenses. Current college athletes may only accept prize money to cover expenses directly related to their participation in tournaments. The plaintiffs argue that these rules are overly restrictive and violate antitrust laws.

Following a mediation session in October 2025 and subsequent settlement negotiations, there is an optimistic outlook that the case may be resolved outside of a trial setting. The potential class members identified in the lawsuit span over 17,000 individuals, primarily comprising college tennis players who registered with the NCAA’s eligibility center from January 2021 to August 2025.

As the legal process moves forward and the settlement nears completion, the NCAA and the affected players aim to finalize the terms of the agreement and present them to the court for approval. This legal development marks an important milestone in the ongoing dispute over college tennis players’ rights to compete in external tournaments and retain their prize money.