Mark Emmert Says NCAA To Appeal Ed O'Bannon Ruling

NCAA President Mark Emmert this morning said the organization "at least in part" will appeal the ruling in the Ed O'Bannon case. Emmert said there was "a lot in the ruling" that was admirable, but added there also were things "we fundamentally disagree with. Most notably ... there's a violation of anti-trust laws going on here." Emmert said no one "in our legal team or in the college conferences legal teams believes that" ("This Week with George Stephanopoulos," ABC, 8/10).

After a series of conference calls with all 32 conferences yesterday, the NCAA "has not had a lot of answers for its members, as the organization seeks further clarification" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/10). The appeals process could "last two or three years, or substantially longer should the NCAA win along the way." An NCAA appeal would "first be heard" by the Ninth Circuit,  which "is regarded as one of the most labor-friendly appellate courts" (SI.com, 8/9). O'Bannon yesterday said, "You want to go to the Supreme Court, let's go" (AP, 8/9).