Alex Fontenot is taking a potentially earth-shattering stance against the NCAA and power conferences. The former University of Colorado running back filed a class-action lawsuit in United States District Court for the District of Colorado against the governing body of collegiate athletics, as well as the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC.
It alleges that current NCAA rules prohibiting athletes from receiving compensation from schools and leagues are against antitrust law. Fontenot is choosing to sue both as an individual “and on behalf of all those similarly.”
The suit, which “focuses on the ever-increasing television revenue and other revenue brought in by these athletes’ labor, of which the athletes would be entitled to receive a substantial portion, but for the NCAA’s rules,” is the latest legal threat against the current model of college sports. Athletes, both current and former, are increasingly demanding a cut of the money.
Fontenot specifically targets amateurism in his lawsuit and calls the purposely equivocal term a “fallacy.”
The current state of college athletics has put the proverbial nail in the coffin for the NCAA’s amateurism argument.
— Alex Fontenot’s class-action lawsuit against the NCAA
It also goes on to discuss conference realignment, television broadcasting deals, the transfer portal, and the current pay-for-play model of NIL. However, the lawsuit does not take issue with Name, Image and Likeness. The focus is entirely on the NCAA and the bylaws that prohibit direct compensation.
Jimbo Fisher’s recent firing is also a big point of emphasis in the complaint. Texas A&M is set to pay him a massive fortune not to coach its football team.
If that type of money can go to a fired coach, then surely the players on the team can be fairly compensated.
— Alex Fontenot’s class-action lawsuit against the NCAA
Fair enough.
Who is Alex Fontenot?!
A three-star prospect in the college football recruiting Class of 2017, Fontentot hails from Richmond, Texas and stands 5-foot-11.5, about 200 pounds. He committed to Colorado over seven other scholarship offers from Baylor, Colorado State, New Mexico, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Texas State. Fresno State, SMU, Texas A&M, Georgia Southern and Texas Tech also showed interest.
Upon arrival to Boulder, Fontenot was the team’s leading rusher in 2019. A hip injury forced him to miss the entire pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He recorded 357 carries in four seasons with the Buffaloes and ran for 1,558 yards with 13 touchdowns.
Despite having at least one additional year of eligibility, Fontenot did not choose to return to the team in 2023. Deion Sanders arrived in December. The elder statesman ballcarrier did not stay on.
Now, after graduating with a degree in Sociology, Fontenot is fighting the good fight against the NCAA.