EA Sports NCAA Video Game Lawsuit Settlement Rises to $60 Million

A judge this week approved a $60 million settlement that paves the way for thousands of football and men's basketball players to get paid for their appearances in Electronic Arts' NCAA video games.

GameSpot sister site CBS Sports reports that U.S. District judge Claudia Wilken orally approved the combined settlement in court on Thursday.

It's up from $40 million last year.

Claims were originally levied against EA, the Collegiate Licensing Company, and the NCAA for illegally using the names and likeness of players.

Attorneys said the maximum that players can receive from the settlement is around $7,200. More than 20,000 claims have been entered so far, and the deadline has now been extended to July 31.

After the settlement is officially approved, those opposed will have a 30-day window to appeal. If the process isn't encumbered by appeals, payments could be dispatched as early as September.

An Electronic Arts representative declined to comment.

Any athlete listed on the roster of a Division 1 football or basketball team that appeared in an EA Sports video game between May 2003 and September 2013 is eligible for cash payment. More information about the claims process is available here.

EA and the NCAA ended their licensing deal in 2013, later announcing that it had put it NCAA Football series on hold. The most recent game in the series was 2013's NCAA Football 14. EA's NCAA Basketball series, meanwhile, hasn't seen a new release since 2009's NCAA Basketball 10.