Tennis players who forfeited tournament prize money between March 19, 2020 and November 21, 2025 and either played NCAA Division I tennis or submitted information to the NCAA Eligibility Center may qualify to claim a share of the $2 million NCAA tennis prize money class action settlement. Claims are open through February 8, 2027 and require an NCAA ID number and documentation of the forfeited winnings.
What Is This Settlement About?
The NCAA agreed to a $2 million class action settlement in Brantmeier v. NCAA, a federal antitrust case in the Middle District of North Carolina challenging the association's rule that forced tennis players to forfeit prize money won at professional and open events in order to keep their college eligibility. The case, Brantmeier v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 1:24-cv-00238, was filed in 2024. Chief Judge Catherine C. Eagles granted preliminary approval in an order entered June 29, 2026, and claims opened July 13, 2026. The NCAA denies the allegations.The lawsuit already changed the rules on the ground: during the litigation the NCAA eliminated its pre-enrollment prize money forfeiture rule — across all sports, not just tennis. The settlement now adds a damages fund for the tennis athletes who gave up winnings under the old rule.
Who Qualifies?
The money goes to the damages class: everyone who, between March 19, 2020 and November 21, 2025, voluntarily forfeited prize money earned in a tennis tournament and either competed in NCAA Division I tennis or submitted information to the NCAA Eligibility Center. That includes juniors who gave up winnings before enrolling in college. A separate injunctive relief class, covering Division I players and those ruled ineligible under the prize money rules from March 19, 2020 on, shares in the rule change but not the cash. Court filings estimate roughly 12,000 Division I tennis athletes and players ruled ineligible fall within the classes.Free settlement alerts
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How Much Can You Get?
Payments come from the $2 million damages fund. Under the court-filed allocation plan, each approved claimant receives a share in proportion to the prize money they forfeited, compared with the total forfeited by all approved claimants. Forfeited prize money does not include expenses a tournament reimbursed, and taxes, stipends, grants and per diems are not counted. The administrator checks claims against the documentation submitted, NCAA records and public results from the WTA, ATP and Grand Slam tournaments, and a claimant whose documentation is incomplete gets 30 days to fix it.No per-person amount has been announced. Payments will not go out until the court enters a final judgment and any objections or appeals are resolved. Separately, the NCAA agreed to pay Class Counsel $1.875 million in attorneys’ fees and $425,000 in expenses, according to the settlement website.
Beyond the fund, the settlement locks in the injunctive relief the case already produced — the NCAA's elimination of the pre-enrollment prize money forfeiture requirement, which now benefits athletes in every sport.
Key Dates
- July 13, 2026 — claims period opened on the official settlement website, run by RG/2 Claims Administration.
- September 28, 2026 — deadline to opt out of the class or object to the settlement (passed).
- November 30, 2026 — plaintiffs’ motion for final approval due.
- January 8, 2027 — final fairness hearing before Chief Judge Eagles in Greensboro, North Carolina.
- February 8, 2027 — claim deadline listed on the settlement website, subject to extension by the court.
The court’s June 29, 2026 order sets the claim deadline at 30 days after final approval, which is why the settlement website notes the date may change. Claims can be filed through the online claims portal or by sending the claim form to the administrator, and a claim filed before final approval does not release anything unless the settlement is finally approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the NCAA tennis prize money settlement?
High school and college tennis athletes who forfeited prize money they won at professional or open tennis events between March 19, 2020 and November 21, 2025 in order to comply with NCAA amateurism rules. Court filings estimate the class covers roughly 12,000 Division I tennis athletes and players ruled ineligible.
How much can athletes get from the NCAA tennis settlement?
The settlement creates a $2 million damages fund. Each approved claimant receives a share in proportion to the prize money they forfeited, compared with the total forfeited by all approved claimants. Expenses reimbursed by tournaments, taxes, stipends, grants and per diems do not count. No per-person amount has been announced.
What is the deadline for the NCAA tennis settlement?
Claims opened July 13, 2026. The official settlement website lists February 8, 2027 as the claim deadline, subject to extension by the court; the court’s order sets it at 30 days after final approval. The final fairness hearing is January 8, 2027 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The September 28, 2026 deadline to opt out or object has passed.
Did the NCAA change its prize money rules?
Yes. As part of the litigation, the NCAA eliminated its rule requiring athletes to forfeit prize money won before college enrollment — a change that applies across all sports, not just tennis. The settlement resolves the damages claims for tennis athletes who forfeited winnings under the old rule.
Sources
• Official settlement website — NCAA Tennis Prize Money Class Action, including the notice, claim form and allocation plan• Brantmeier v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 1:24-cv-00238 (M.D.N.C.) — docket on CourtListener, including the June 29, 2026 order granting preliminary approval (ECF No. 126)
• PR Newswire — Federal court grants preliminary approval of NCAA tennis prize money settlement (July 2, 2026)
• ESPN — NCAA tennis prize money settlement coverage
• Sportico — What the NCAA's new prize money rules mean
