The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), along with five former NCAA athletes and their attorneys, met with a mediator last week to attempt to reach a settlement in a case involving “duty of care” that is owed to the players of the NCAA.  The former athletes are seeking remuneration and reform within the organization regarding its rules and procedures for protecting players from concussions.     

The former players involved in the mediation hearings include former Eastern Illinois defensive back Adrian Arrington and four additional former NCAA athletes who brought a lawsuit against the organization in 2011.  Due to a signed confidentiality agreement, no other information has been released. 

According the NCAA's chief medical officer, studies within the medical community on head trauma diagnosis management are at a “primitive” stage, but if settlements reached between the NFL and its former players show anything about the future, the NCAA could be paying out a significant amount of money to Arrington and others who have suffered head trauma while playing.  To date, the NFL has paid more than $765 million to approximately 18,000 former NFL players who suffered head trauma while playing for the league.   

“If we're able to settle the case in November and get this through [it] would change the game forever,” said Joseph Siprut, an attorney for the former NCAA players.  Additionally, this initial round of mediation talks will set the state for a second round and second set of plaintiffs, who are slated to go before a mediator on February 18^th of 2014.