After 41 years, 10 members of the 1983 national champion basketball team from North Carolina State are suing the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company for unauthorized use of their likenesses.
NC State won a dramatic NCAA championship in 1983 by a score of 54-52 with a last-second dunk by Lorenzo Charles.
The NC State team was known as the “Cardiac Pack” after a series of close victories in the tournament, culminating in the team’s championship win over a star-studded Houston team. The opposing squad had two future NBA Hall of Fame members in Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Coach Jim Valvano running onto the court after the game became an iconic highlight that was reportedly used in many NCAA tournament promotions, according to ESPN.
Those clips have become a point of contention after former players filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court in North Carolina for the unauthorized use of their names, images, and likenesses.
‘Student-athletes’ value to the NCAA does not end with their graduation.’
The players are reportedly seeking “reasonable compensation.”
“For more than 40 years, the NCAA and its co-conspirators have systematically and intentionally misappropriated the Cardiac Pack’s publicity rights — including their names, images, and likenesses — associated with that game and that play, reaping scores of millions of dollars from the Cardiac Pack’s legendary victory,” the lawsuit reportedly said.
The lawsuit is bringing into question whether or not the value of student-athletes ends when they graduate and whether archival footage or other products should constitute using a player’s likeness, rights, etc.
“Student-athletes’ value to the NCAA does not end with their graduation; archival footage and other products constitute an ongoing income stream for the NCAA long after the students whose images are used have moved on from college,” the lawsuit added.
Plaintiffs in the case included the following former NC State players: Thurl Bailey, Alvin Battle, Walt Densmore, Tommy DiNardo, Terry Gannon, George McClain, Cozell McQueen, Walter Proctor, Harold Thompson, and Mike Warren.
The NCAA has not yet responded to requests for comment from outlets such as the Associated Press.
Young athletes have been able to take in millions from NIL agreements with the NCAA, capitalizing on their sometimes massive social media followings.
According to On3, which tracks NIL valuations, the top earner is the University of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL great Deion Sanders, making an estimated $4.6 million.
Second on the list is LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, who, with over 9 million social media followers, is being paid an estimated $3.9 million.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning of the legendary Manning football family is fourth on the list with a $2.4 million valuation.
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