The NCAA wants U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken "to reduce" the Ed O'Bannon plaintiffs' request for $50.2M in attorney fees and other costs to approximately $8.5M, according to a Friday court filing cited by Jon Solomon of CBSSPORTS.com. The NCAA claims the O'Bannon lawyers “impermissibly syndicated the case" for their own "financial gain with an unwieldy network of at least 34 firms." Wilken last August ruled that the NCAA's "restrictions on what major college football and men's basketball players can receive 'unreasonably restrain trade' and violate antitrust laws." The NCAA "is appealing the decision." The fighting over legal fees "is the latest battle in what has been a contentious case for more than five years -- and it's not over yet." Oral arguments before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are March 17, and a hearing on the legal fees "is scheduled for April 1, although the date may be pushed back." The NCAA in arguing for reduced costs also "cited inefficient overstaffing by the O'Bannon lawyers in the case." As an example of "unnecessary expenses, the NCAA cited O'Bannon's lawyers billing 861.5 hours and $389,972.75 to have attorneys at four different firms prepare for the deposition" of former NCAA VP/Basketball & Business Strategies Greg Shaheen" (CBSSPORTS.com, 2/8).
