Hagens Berman Responds to Threats of Interfering in NCAA NIL Landscape: “College Athletes Don’t Need Trump’s Help. Let Them Make Their Own Deals.”

Law firm that secured historic $22B settlement calls President Trump’s latest threats of meddling and executive order unwarranted

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Attorneys at Hagens Berman representing hundreds of thousands of NCAA college athletes in In re: College Athlete NIL [Name, Image and Likeness] Litigation responded to President Donald Trump’s executive order threatening to affect the landscape of college athlete compensation.

“Plain and simple, college athletes don’t need Trump’s help, and he shouldn’t be aiding the NCAA at the expense of athletes,” said Steve Berman, managing partner and co-founder of Hagens Berman who serves as co-lead counsel in the NIL litigation. “Mr. Trump boasts of his deal-making prowess. As a result of our case, college athletes are now free to make their own deals. For Trump to want to put his foot on their deal-making abilities is unwarranted and flouts his own philosophy on the supposed ‘art of the deal.’”

“Step back, Mr. President,” Berman added. “These fabulous athletes don’t need your help. Let them make their own deals. And the Supreme Court with your appointee, Justice Kavanagh, condemned the NCAA’s compensation rules as a violation of the antitrust laws, why give them immunity, Mr. President, in light of that ruling?”

The settlement resolved three pending antitrust lawsuits, House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA, and Carter v. NCAA. As part of the settlement, the NCAA and its conferences will pay more than $22.78 billion to college athletes over a 10-year period, eliminate rules prohibiting schools from making direct payments to athletes, and dramatically expand the availability of compensation and benefits available to athletes. This includes eliminating restrictions on the number of available athletic scholarships across all Division I sports.

“Because of our settlement and pressure on the NCAA over the past 20 years, college athletes are now achieving extraordinary deals, cementing their true value and worth in the lucrative world of college sports,” Berman said. “They don’t need, want nor deserve Trump’s meddling.”

College athletes across a variety of sports have secured monumental, life-changing deals in name, image and likeness compensation.

• Sedona Prince (Basketball, TCU): As of April 2025, the TCU star had acquired deals with brands like Crocs, Taco Bell, Wildfang, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Buick, DoorDash and many more to the tune of millions of dollars, according to sports news outlets.
• Livvy Dunne (Gymnastics, LSU): Recognized as the highest-paid female NIL athlete, she holds an estimated valuation of $4.1 million. Her deals encompass a wide array of brands, including Nautica, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, Vuori, American Eagle and more.
• Flau'jae Johnson (Basketball, LSU): Johnson has an estimated NIL valuation of $1.5 million, and she has secured deals with brands like Powerade, JBL Audio, Raising Cane's, Campus Ink and Papa John's.
• NiJaree Canady (Softball, Texas Tech): Canady was the first female athlete to secure a NIL deal worth more than $1 million, and she has now secured a second seven-figure deal with a collective.
• Cooper Flagg (Basketball, Duke): Flagg has reportedly accumulated $28 million in NIL through endorsement deals with New Balance and Fanatics.
• Travis Hunter (Football, Colorado): Hunter has secured several significant NIL deals, including partnerships with Adidas, NerdWallet, United Airlines, Celsius and EA Sports. His NIL valuation is estimated to be $5.2 million.

Tens of thousands of other college athletes have struck deals across virtually all college sports. Read more about the firm’s settlement on behalf of NCAA college athletes.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.