NCAA Volunteer Coach Settlement, How to Claim Your Share of $303 Million

You coached a Division I program for free — woke up early for practice, traveled with athletes, put in 40+ hours a week — while the NCAA’s own rules made sure you never saw a paycheck. The NCAA agreed to pay $303,000,000 to settle a class action antitrust lawsuit brought by roughly 7,718 Division I volunteer coaches who worked without pay between March 17, 2019 and June 30, 2023. Every valid claimant receives a guaranteed minimum of $5,000 — and many coaches will receive a six-figure payment. The claim deadline is June 2, 2026. You must file to get paid.

Quick Facts

Current Status & What Happens Next

• Judge William B. Shubb of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California granted preliminary approval of the settlement on January 6, 2026, calling the $303 million result exceptional and noting it represents over 100% of estimated class damages.
• The Court will hold a Final Fairness Hearing on May 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. PT to decide whether to grant final approval of the settlement — class members must file their claim forms by June 2, 2026 to receive payment.
• The NCAA will distribute the $303 million in three equal payments of $101 million each over two calendar years, with the first installment due within 30 days of final approval — meaning eligible coaches could receive their first checks as early as summer 2026.

How Did the NCAA Fix Coaches’ Pay at Zero for 31 Years? 

NCAA Bylaw 11.7.6 prohibited every Division I member school from paying wages, salaries, or benefits to coaches designated as “volunteer coaches.” Each school was allowed one volunteer coach per applicable sport — but that coach could not receive any compensation or remuneration from the athletics department whatsoever. This bylaw was in effect from 1992 until July 1, 2023.

The lawsuit argued that the NCAA and its member schools — which are competing businesses — acted as a buyer-side cartel by joining together to cap coaching pay at zero. Under normal market conditions, schools would compete against each other for coaching talent by offering compensation. The NCAA’s bylaw eliminated that competition entirely and suppressed wages across every affected sport for more than three decades.

Plaintiffs alleged this arrangement violated Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act — the same federal law that prohibits price-fixing in commercial markets. Expert economist Dr. Orley Ashenfelter calculated aggregate damages at $253.9 million in lost wages, estimating what class members would have earned in a competitive market without the bylaw restriction. The NCAA denied all wrongdoing but agreed to settle before the case reached trial.

Who Is Eligible to File a Claim? 

You may qualify if you worked as a “volunteer coach” for any NCAA Division I sports program other than baseball at any time between March 17, 2019 and June 30, 2023, as designated under NCAA Bylaws.

You may qualify if you coached a Division I sport including — but not limited to — swimming, track and field, tennis, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, rowing, cross country, golf, or any other Division I sport except baseball.

You may qualify if you were a full-season or partial-season volunteer coach during the class period — both types are included in the settlement class.

You may qualify for multiple payments if you worked as a volunteer coach for more than one school, in more than one sport, or across more than one year — each qualifying position counts separately.

You do not qualify if you coached college baseball — baseball volunteer coaches settled a separate $49.3 million case (Smart v. NCAA) that received final approval in September 2025.

Important: If you want to keep your right to sue the NCAA separately for these claims, you must opt out of this settlement by March 21, 2026. If you opt out, you receive no payment. If you do nothing or file a claim, you remain in the class and release your claims against the NCAA.

For another recent settlement involving workers whose pay was fixed or suppressed without their knowledge, see our full breakdown of the Ultimate Care Home Health Aide Settlement — File Your Overtime Claim by May 8, 2026 on AllAboutLawyer.com.

How Much Will You Receive? 

No class member will receive less than $5,000. Many class members will receive a six-figure amount. The average payout across all ~7,718 coaches is approximately $39,200 before attorneys’ fees and expenses.

Your individual payment uses a formula called “Recognized Loss,” which calculates what you would have earned had the NCAA’s pay-fixing rule not existed. The formula considers four key factors:

Your sport’s “stepdown percentage” — Each sport has a different percentage reflecting how volunteer coach pay would typically compare to the lowest-paid paid assistant coach on the same team. Sports where the volunteer position was closer to a full assistant role receive a higher recovery.

The reference coach’s salary — The settlement uses the salary of the lowest-paid paid coach on your specific team during each year you coached as the baseline for what you should have earned.

Half-year periods — Your class period is split into two half-year periods per calendar year. Each half-year generates its own Recognized Loss calculation, and those amounts combine for your total.

A pro-rata scale — If the formula produces a Recognized Loss below $2,500 for any individual half-year period, that half-year is automatically bumped to $2,500, and no claimant’s total falls below $5,000 under any circumstances.

The $303 million payment comes from two sources: 60% from reductions to NCAA Division I revenue distributions to member schools, and 40% from the NCAA national office — with $10 million contributed by NCAA Divisions II and III.

How to File Your Claim 

Step 1 — Visit the official settlement website at NCAAVolunteerCoachLawsuit.com and click the claim form link, or call (877) 390-3148 to request a paper form.

Step 2 — Locate the unique Claim ID and identification number from the postcard notice mailed to you by the settlement administrator, A.B. Data, Ltd. You need both to access your online claim.

Step 3 — Review the pre-populated information the administrator obtained from your school — including sport, institution, and years of service. If everything is correct, complete the remaining fields and sign.

Step 4 — If any of the pre-populated information is incorrect or incomplete, complete all sections yourself and attach any supporting documentation you have — contracts, email records, team schedules, pay records, or correspondence proving your volunteer coaching role and dates of service.

Step 5 — Submit your claim online by June 2, 2026, or mail a completed paper form postmarked by that date to: Ray v. NCAA Volunteer Coach Settlement, c/o A.B. Data Ltd., PO Box 173059, Milwaukee, WI 53217.

Step 6 — After submission, A.B. Data will send you a Confirmation of Claim Receipt acknowledging your filing and outlining next steps. Save this confirmation with your records.

Estimated time to complete: 10–15 minutes (longer if disputing pre-populated school data)

Important Deadlines & Dates 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to file a claim? 

No. You file your claim directly at NCAAVolunteerCoachLawsuit.com or by mailing a paper form. Co-Lead Counsel — Gustafson Gluek PLLC, Fairmark Partners LLP, and Kirby McInerney LLP — already represent all class members at no direct cost to you. Attorneys’ fees come out of the settlement fund, not from your individual payment.

Is this settlement legitimate?

 Yes. The case is Ray v. NCAA, No. 1:23-cv-00425, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California before Judge William B. Shubb. Preliminary approval was granted on January 6, 2026. The settlement administrator is A.B. Data, Ltd., one of the most recognized antitrust class action administrators in the United States. Verify all details at NCAAVolunteerCoachLawsuit.com.

When will I receive my payment? 

The first of three equal installments will be distributed within approximately 30 days of final court approval, which is scheduled for the May 11, 2026 hearing. The second and third payments will follow in 2027 and 2028 respectively. You must file a claim by June 2, 2026 to receive any payment.

What if I missed the claim deadline? 

If you do not file a claim form by June 2, 2026 — online or postmarked — you will not receive any payment from the settlement. You will still be bound by the settlement’s release of claims against the NCAA unless you opted out before March 21, 2026. File as early as possible.

Will this settlement payment affect my taxes? 

Payments that compensate for lost wages are generally treated as taxable income, and A.B. Data may issue a 1099 or W-2 form depending on how each payment is classified. The three-year payment structure could spread your tax liability across 2026, 2027, and 2028. Consult a tax professional for advice specific to your situation.

I coached for multiple schools or sports — do I file multiple claims? 

Yes. If you served as a volunteer coach at more than one school, in more than one sport, or across more than one year, each qualifying position counts separately and increases your total Recognized Loss calculation. List every qualifying position on your single claim form — you do not need to submit separate forms.

What if my school provided incorrect data to the settlement administrator? 

If the information pre-populated from your school’s records is incorrect, complete all sections of the claim form yourself and submit any supporting materials you have — such as coaching contracts, schedules, or correspondence — to substantiate your actual dates and role. The administrator will review disputes on a case-by-case basis.

Can I still opt out if I want to sue the NCAA separately? 

Yes — but the opt-out deadline is March 21, 2026, which has already passed as of this article’s publication date. If you did not submit a written opt-out request before that date, you remain in the settlement class and cannot bring a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for these wage-fixing claims.

Sources & References 

• Official Settlement Website & Claim Portal: NCAAVolunteerCoachLawsuit.com
• Official Court Filing — Preliminary Approval Order: Ray v. NCAA, No. 1:23-cv-00425, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California

Last Updated: March 13, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.

About the Author

Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
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