SACRAMENTO (Legal Newsline) — "Volunteer" college baseball coaches are alleging in a class action that the NCAA's bylaws limiting a member school's number of paid coaches violate antitrust laws.
Taylor Smart and Michael Hacker, individually and on behalf of all those similarly situated, filed a complaint Nov. 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the National Collegiate Athletic Associate (NCAA) alleging violations of the Sherman Act, unjust enrichment and other claims.
The plaintiffs allege in their class action complaint that the NCAA has used an "illegal buyer's-side monopsony" through fixing the compensation of a certain category of college baseball coaches, which requires them to provide their services for free. Smart, who was hired by the University of Arkansas, and Hacker, who was hired by the University of California, both claim they provided "valuable coaching skills" for positions that amounted to full-time jobs yet received no compensation due to NCAA bylaws.
They allege the NCAA bylaws restrict its member schools to three paid baseball coaches with any additional coach not being allowed to be paid. The plaintiffs further claim they perform the same duties as the paid coaches and that the NCAA bylaws restrict competition in the labor market and violate antitrust laws.
The plaintiffs and class seek monetary relief of more than $5 million, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Stephen Tillery, Steven Berezney and Garrett Broshuis of Korein Tillery LLC in St. Louis.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California case number 2:22-CV-02125-WBS-KJN