Korein Tillery Secures $49.25 Million Settlement for NCAA Baseball Coaches in Landmark Antitrust Case

Settlement delivers average payouts of $50,000 per coach

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Korein Tillery has secured final court approval of a $49.25 million settlement in a landmark class action lawsuit on behalf of NCAA Division I baseball coaches. The agreement—praised by Senior District Judge William B. Shubb as an "exceptional result"—provides meaningful financial compensation, averaging $50,000 per coach. The NCAA rescinded the longstanding bylaw four months after the case was brought.

The settlement resolves claims that the NCAA and its member institutions conspired to suppress the pay of assistant baseball coaches in violation of federal antitrust laws.

"This settlement provides over 90% of the damages, which is an outstanding result in any case, and certainly in an antitrust case," said Garrett Broshuis, Partner at Korein Tillery. "Our clients faced systemic barriers to fair compensation in a structure that long profited from their expertise and hard work. This settlement represents a victory for fairness and accountability in college athletics."

Mr. Broshuis was previously lead attorney in the landmark minor league baseball fair pay case, known as Senne v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. That case settled for $185 million and helped revolutionize minor league working conditions.

About Korein Tillery

Korein Tillery is an AV-rated, award-winning law firm with offices in St. Louis, Chicago, and Naples. The firm has recovered billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements by aggressively pursuing complex civil cases. With a long history of success in antitrust and sports law, Korein Tillery has been at the forefront of advocating for fairness and equal treatment throughout professional and collegiate sports.

Lead attorneys on this case were Garrett Broshuis and Steve Berezney.

Case Information

Smart v. Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n, No. 2:22-cv-02125 (E.D. Cal.)

Media Contact

Jerry Brown
Director of Communications
Korein Tillery
314-241-4844
[email protected]

SOURCE Korein Tillery LLC