LAS VEGAS – Florida coach Billy Donovan has been keeping up with the Ed O’Bannon class action law suit against the NCAA, EA Sports and Collegiate Licensing for using his likeness and those of fellow plaintiffs like Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell in videos and video games, but never compensate them.
While he does not want to venture a guess on the outcome of the trial that is scheduled to begin next February, Donovan can understand where they are coming from.
“I think in college athletics today, kids are looking at the fact that college football stadiums and college basketball arenas are being filled up and the NCAA is one of the most widely viewed sporting events and these kids can’t even go out and buy a McDonald’s hamburger,’ he said. “I think there is a time and point to say, listen, the NCAA is all about amateurism, but you can’t keep making money off someone’s likeness for a long period of time.
“Kids should be given back something, especially those who are less fortunate and need some help. Maybe there’s a way, maybe a pension to help them out. There’s a lot of money being generated and these kids are the reason. People show up because they love their school and they love their programs, but they also love the kids who are playing
“I think it’s a hard thing to know the NCAA is using their likenesses and saying, ‘We control that.”
One of the reasons Donovan has been wildly successful at Florida, winning two national championships in 2006 and 2007, is because he is a players’ coach and he realizes they are part of a successful equation.
“I think there’s going to be some changes,” he said.
