UNC women's tennis player Reese Brantmeier is suing the NCAA over prize money rules

It's the same way a college student does a summer job, said Brantmeier. You earn money immediately for your work and your talent. Athletics is no different.

Sam EhrlichAn assistant professor at Boise State University and sports law expertsaid the Sophomore class action lawsuit has the potential to throw another wrench in the NCAA's understanding of amateurism.

The NCAA still prohibits you from making money specifically from your athletic pursuits and specifically because you are an athlete. Ehrlich said, interpreting the lawsuit's argument. But now that NIL has evolved, the way that NIL has taken off in recent years with collectives and all these different things, the NCAA basically doesn't get in the way of pay-for-play anymore.

I felt like I was being put on trial

This isn't Brantmeier's first battle with the NCAA.

Currentlythe NCAA allows individual athletes to accept prize money as long as it is not higher “actual and necessary expenses.” This is set forth in NCAA Bylaw 12.1which also offers exceptions specifically for incoming collegiate tennis players: they can claim up to $10,000 per calendar year in prize money before you enroll in university.

When Brantmeier entered the 2021 US Open, she knew that was the case little room for error in tracking her expenses.

I wasn't that familiar with it [the] NCAA's rules, so I learned a little bit like at the tournament, Brantmeier said. Between games, my mom and I called the NCAA customer service hotline and said, Can someone please help us? Because, you know, the rules are very confusing and complicated.

Brantmeier said there was a lack of tennis-specific information and she received a lot of it conflicting answers.

We asked every expense we provided whether it was allowed [the] NCAA, Brantmeier said. So everything we ended up paying, we got immediate confirmation.”

Still, Brantmeier's lawsuit claims the NCAA has questioned several of the expenses it submitted for the 2021 U.S. Open.

Brantmeier and her mother bought one portable scanner to track receipts using competition-related expenses, a purchase the NCAA deemed unnecessary. The NCAA also disputed Brantmeier's claim racket restringing (it took place outside a 14-day pre-competition period) And denied her mother's share of living expenses in New York City, arguing that it was not an essential expense. Brantmeier was 16 years old at the time.

As a result, the NCAA refused to certify Brantmeier as an amateur for the 2022 fall season, the lawsuit alleges. If she had played and was later declared ineligible by the NCAA, the Tar Heels might have been forced to forfeit games.

Feeling like I wasn't even on the team was so challenging, Brantmeier said. And just the way the NCAA handled the whole process made it even more difficult.

By means of In January 2023, the NCAA confirmed her eligibility after making a mandatory $5,100 donation to charity, the lawsuit said.

It felt like I was standing in front of a judge, Brantmeier said. I had done everything I could to make sure I followed all of these rules, so it was so frustrating to be accused of apparently trying to scam this system.

'If it's not me, it will soon be someone else'

Crawley, the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Player of the Yearmade headlines September when she was forced to give up most of the trip $81,500 she was rewarded for at the US Open Unpleasant maintain her university admission.

Brantmeier said she and Crawley were contacted in the fall by attorneys from law firms Milberg and Miller Monroe & Plyler, who encouraged the two players to take their case to court.

While Crawley declined to participate, she emphasized that she fully supports Brantmeier is represented by Alawyers from the two firms.

Brantmeier's lawsuit does not claim compensation. She knows her prize money is long gone. Instead of, she is taking legal action to advocate for a rule change, for the benefit of other collegiate players who may find themselves in her or Crawley's shoes in the future.

It was definitely intimidating to go up against an institution that is so respected and long-standing, Brantmeier said. But I truly believe that if it's not me, it will be someone else later. And hopefully, if I do this now, sooner or later fewer people will be negatively affected by these rules.

The NCAA did not respond to The Daily Tar Heel's requests for comment before the time of publication. The UNC athletic department, the head coach of UNC women's tennis Brian Kalbas And Nate Woodthe university's athletic director for NCAA compliance, declined to comment on the case.

The complaint for Brantmeier v. NCAA can be seen below.

@shelbymswanson

@dthsports | [email protected]

---