Lawyers from both sides in the Ed O'Bannon v. NCAA case today will appear before U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland for a hearing on "whether the case should be certified as a class action." She is not expected to issue a ruling today, but her "questions and reactions to each side's arguments may provide hints about her thinking on two separate, but related, issues: the immediate legal requirements for class certification and the broader merits of the plaintiffs' case" (USA TODAY, 6/20).
The case "centers on one question: What exactly is amateurism?" Win, lose or settle, the case "has the potential to deliver the most important legal directive in the NCAA's century-old history" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/19).
The N.Y. TIMES runs multiple stories on the case. In one, Eder & Bishop note the case "threatens to upend college sports." Another looks at the "other critical participants" in the case. The WASHINGTON TIMES' Nathan Fenno goes with the headline, "Ed O'Bannon Lawsuit Ruling Could Hasten End Of NCAA Model." The SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS' Jon Wilner refers to today as a "momentous day for the NCAA." SI.com's Andy Staples offers a further explanation of what is at stake. The L.A. TIMES' David Wharton calls the hearing "a crucial fork in the road."
