Forty-one years later, 10 members of the 1983 national champion North Carolina State University basketball team are suing the NCAA and a university licensing company, alleging that their likenesses were used without their permission.
In 1983, North Carolina State won the NCAA Championship in dramatic fashion, 54-52, thanks to a last-minute dunk by Lorenzo Charles.
The North Carolina State team was nicknamed the “Cardiac Pack” after winning the tournament with a series of close victories over a star-studded Houston team that featured two future NBA Hall of Famers, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.
The scene of head coach Jim Valvano running onto the court after the game became an iconic highlight and has reportedly been used in many NCAA Tournament promotions. ESPN.
The footage has become the subject of controversy after former players filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court in North Carolina alleging their names, images and likenesses were used without their permission.
“A student-athlete’s value to the NCAA does not end with graduation.”
The players are reportedly seeking “fair compensation.”
“For over four decades, the NCAA and its co-conspirators systematically and intentionally misappropriated the publicity rights, including the name, image and likeness, associated with the Cardiac Pack’s games and play, and profited in the tens of millions of dollars from the Cardiac Pack’s legendary victories,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit raises questions about whether a student-athlete’s value ends with graduation and whether archival footage and other products qualify as uses of players’ likenesses and rights.
“The value of a student-athlete to the NCAA does not end with graduation; archival footage and other products may provide an ongoing source of revenue for the NCAA even after the students whose footage was used have graduated from college,” the lawsuit states.
Plaintiffs in the suit included former North Carolina State players Thurl Bailey, Alvin Battle, Walt Densmore, Tommy DiNardo, Terry Gannon, George McClain, Cozelle McQueen, Walter Proctor, Harold Thompson and Mike Warren.
The NCAA has not yet responded to requests for comment from news organizations including The Associated Press.
Young athletes are sometimes able to leverage their massive social media followings to make millions from non-state actors’ contracts with the NCAA.
According to On3, which tracks NIL valuations, the highest-paid player is Colorado’s Shedul Sanders, son of NFL great Deion Sanders, who has an estimated $4.6 million.
In second place was Louisiana State University gymnast Livi Dunn, who has more than 9 million followers on social media. paid Estimated at $3.9 million.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning of the legendary Manning football family ranked fourth on the list with $2.4 million. evaluation.
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