Sports Law Archives - Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler

Changing the Game: MMHP Helps Secure Pivotal NCAA Reform on Prize Money Rules

Jason A. Miller — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:36:50 +0000

A major step forward for fairness in college athletics that will impact generations of student-athletes.

Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler is proud to announce a significant milestone in the evolution of college athletics: a settlement agreement with the NCAA that addresses outdated and restrictive prize money rules that have long limited student-athletes.

Representing Reese Brantmeier, Maya Joint, and a broader class of affected tennis players, this case challenged NCAA regulations that failed to reflect the modern realities of collegiate sports. For years, student-athletes competing at the highest levels—particularly in sports like tennis—faced restrictions on the prize money they could retain from tournaments, such as Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the U.S. Open, even when those earnings were the direct result of their own talent and performance.

This litigation helped drive meaningful change. As part of the settlement, the NCAA has agreed to permanently revise its prize money rules across all sports. These changes ensure that future student-athletes will no longer be subject to the same restrictive framework, opening the door to greater fairness and opportunity nationwide. The impact will extend far beyond this case, shaping the experience of student-athletes for years to come.

While the agreement remains subject to final court approval, it is expected to provide long-overdue compensation to a large group of student-athletes who were previously denied the full value of their earnings.

This outcome was made possible by the leadership and determination of Reese and Maya, who stepped forward to challenge entrenched rules and advocate for change—not only for themselves, but for student-athletes across the country. “Reese and Maya deserve a lot credit for taking this case on, doing it for themselves but also for future student-athletes and not just in tennis but for all sports,” said Jason Miller, attorney for the class. “It’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment.”

Attorneys Jason Miller, Rob Rader, William Plyler, and Joel Lulla (of counsel) handled this case for Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler, which was honored to have partnered with Milberg and Bryson Harris Suciu Demay in achieving this result. Together, we are proud to have played a role in advancing fairness, equity, and opportunity in college athletics.

Media Coverage

This case has drawn national attention, with coverage including:

For more information about this case or our work on behalf of student-athletes, please contact Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler at 919-809-7346 or visit our website at https://millermonroelaw.com/practice-areas/sports-law/.

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Rader Assists NC State WR Dacari Collins in Return for 2025 Season

MMP — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:11:03 +0000

Veteran wide receiver Dacari Collins will be returning to NC State for the 2025 season. Collins re-signed with One Pack, NC State’s NIL collective, solidifying the Wolfpack’s receiving corps for the upcoming season. Rob Rader of MMHP’s sports law team represented Collins in these contract negotiations. Collins was a starter for the Wolfpack offense during the 2024 season and will look to capitalize on his success in 2025 as a redshirt senior.

Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler represents athletes, businesses, and institutions in the sports industry, including in contract negotiations, disputes, and litigation matters. Rob Rader and Jason Miller, both North Carolina licensed attorneys and registered athlete agents, spearhead MMHP’s sports law practice. For more information, please visit: https://millermonroelaw.com/practice-areas/sports-law/

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Reese Brantmeier Named Most Influential Person in Triangle Sports in 2024

MMP — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 18:49:29 +0000

UNC women’s tennis star, Reese Brantmeier, was named the most influential person in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill sports in 2024 by the News & Observer: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article296809614.html

Brantmeier played the No. 1 position for the Tar Heels’ 2023 National Championship winning women’s tennis team and is currently the lead plaintiff in the ongoing federal lawsuit against the NCAA challenging its prohibition on student-athletes’ acceptance of prize money earned in non-NCAA events, such as the US Open Tennis Championships and the US Open Golf Championships, among others. Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler (with Joel Lulla, of counsel) and Milberg represent Brantmeier in the litigation.

Brantmeier competed in the 2021 US Open Tennis Championships, earning prize money through her performance, but was prohibited from retaining most of it under longstanding and outdated NCAA rules. Even then, the NCAA objected to certain tournament expenses submitted by Brantmeier, including her mother’s share of uber rides and hotel costs, which she was permitted reimbursement through prize money earned. After forcing her to miss the first semester of her freshman year, the NCAA eventually certified Brantmeier’s eligibility in January 2023. In March of 2024, Brantmeier filed a federal antitrust class action lawsuit against the NCAA seeking to strike down such prize money restrictions.

“For both her tennis prowess and legal courage, Brantmeier claims the top spot in the Triangle Ten, the News & Observer’s annual list of the most influential people in Triangle sports.”

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Recent Media Coverage of Lawsuit Against NCAA

bjssupport — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:46:09 +0000

Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler (with Of Counsel Joel Lulla) and Milberg filed an antitrust class action lawsuit against the NCAA in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit seeks to strike down the NCAA’s unlawful restrictions on student-athletes’ acceptance of prize money earned for their performance in non-NCAA competitions. Reese Brantmeier, a sophomore at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and current No. 2 ranked singles and No. 1 ranked doubles collegiate tennis player in the country, filed the action on behalf of herself and other student-athletes competing in individual sports whose earning abilities have been suppressed by the NCAA’s ongoing restrictions.

The MMHP sports law team representing Reese Brantmeier and other student-athletes includes Jason Miller, Rob Rader, Jeff Monroe, William Plyler, and Joel Lulla. The lawsuit has been covered nationally and locally by various media outlets:

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Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler, Lulla, and Milberg File Antitrust Class Action Challenging NCAA’s Prize Money Restrictions

Jason A. Miller — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:47:35 +0000

LAWSUIT CHALLENGES NCAA’S PRIZE MONEY RESTRICTIONS

RALEIGH, NC. Attorneys from Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler (together with Of Counsel Joel Lulla) and Milberg have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“UNC”) student Reese Brantmeier alleging antitrust violations against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”). The lawsuit asks a U.S. District Court to strike down the NCAA’s restrictions on student-athletes’ acceptance of prize money earned in non-NCAA competitions.

The NCAA’s longstanding “amateurism” rules prohibit student-athletes from accepting prize money earned primarily through participation in non-NCAA competitions, such as the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the U.S. Swimming Championships, and the U.S. Track and Field Championships.

Reese Brantmeier, a sophomore at UNC and currently the No. 2 ranked singles and No. 1 ranked doubles collegiate tennis player in the country, filed the action on behalf of herself and other student-athletes competing in individual sports whose earning ability has been suppressed by the NCAA’s unlawful and anticompetitive restrictions.

The NCAA refused to certify Brantmeier as an amateur in the fall of 2022, her first semester of college and on the UNC Women’s Tennis team, citing her acceptance of tournament prize money at the 2021 U.S. Open as a violation of the NCAA’s Rules protecting “amateurism.” Brantmeier advanced to the third round of singles in the 2021 U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament and lost in the first round of the main draw of the 2021 U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championship.

Despite being entitled to receive over $40,000 in prize money, in an effort to preserve her eligibility to play collegiately, Brantmeier accepted the applicable NCAA cap of $10,000 plus her “actual and necessary” expenses as permitted by the NCAA.

Specifically, the NCAA challenged Brantmeier’s inclusion of the full cost (rather than half) of the hotel room she shared with her mother during tennis tournaments as part of her expenses — Reese was a 16-year-old high school junior at the time. Likewise, the NCAA objected to Brantmeier’s expense for a racket restringing 15 days prior to the competition, stating that this expense fell outside an alleged 14-day window that is absent from its rules, but the NCAA contended was “generally applied.”

As a result of the NCAA’s investigation, Brantmeier missed the fall 2022 NCAA tennis season and was not cleared to play until January 2023, after the NCAA required her to personally contribute more than $5,000 to charity.

“We are hopeful that the NCAA has been so focused on their myriad adverse court rulings that have struck down illegal NCAA rules that restrict student-athlete benefits and compensation, particularly NIL-related compensation, that they simply haven’t paid attention to their still-existing illegal prize money rules that arbitrarily discriminate against student-athletes in non-revenue sports. We are cautiously optimistic that by bringing this action, we are now forcing the NCAA to focus on their prize money rules and they will agree that the rules are illegal, discriminatory and unfair and must be rescinded” said Joel Lulla, Of Counsel to Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler and faculty member at The University of Texas at Austin.

“Reese and many other student-athletes have been harmed and continue to be harmed by the NCAA rules and by-laws that prevent these athletes from accepting prize money they have earned through non-NCAA competitions. Reese does not seek money but aims to eliminate the NCAA’s illegal and arbitrary restrictions,” said Peggy Wedgworth, a Senior Partner at Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman.

“Reese has done all the right things in life. She is a remarkable student and athlete. She plays by the rules. She gave up tens of thousands of dollars in prize money and still lost her first semester of college tennis based on the NCAA’s arbitrary, misguided, and trivial rules. We see this lawsuit as an opportunity to prevent this from happening again to other student-athletes like Reese,” said Jason Miller, a partner with Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler.

Through attorneys with Milberg and Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler, Brantmeier is seeking an injunction prohibiting the NCAA from enforcing its anticompetitive and unlawful rules restricting student-athletes’ acceptance of prize money earned in non-NCAA competitions.

About Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler.

Founded in 2009, Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler is a boutique civil litigation firm serving corporations, small businesses, and individuals throughout the State of North Carolina. Its litigation team has decades of in-court litigation experience and extensive business acumen. The firm’s primary practice areas include complex business and construction litigation, sports law, personal injury and wrongful death, and general civil litigation.

About Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman.

Since the firm’s founding in 1965, it has repeatedly taken the lead in landmark cases that have set groundbreaking legal precedents, prompted changes in corporate governance, and recovered over $50 billion in verdicts and settlements. The firm pioneered federal class action litigation and is widely recognized as a leader in defending the rights of victims of corporate and other large-scale wrongdoing.

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For more information, press only:

Jason Miller, 919-809-7346, jmiller@millermonroe.com

For more information on Miller Monroe Holton & Plyler PLLC:

www.millermonroe.com

For more information on Milberg:

www.milberg.com

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