settlement Archives - National Football Post

Report: Brian Kelly rebuffs LSU settlement offers

Posted on 10 November 2025 | by Field Level Media

Former LSU coach Brian Kelly rejected two settlement offers and is seeking the full $54 million buyout owed under the terms of his contract, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported.

Kelly’s attorneys have given the school a Monday deadline of 6 p.m. ET to confirm in writing that that they will pay him the full amount, or he will “pursue all available legal remedies,” per the report.

Kelly was fired on Oct. 26 after a 5-3 start to his fourth season with the Tigers. He signed a 10-year, $95 million deal in November 2021.

According to the report, Kelly turned down a lump-sum offer of $25 million from former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward on Oct. 30 — the day Woodward was fired — and later declined a $30 million offer in two payments from executive deputy athletic director Julie Cromer.

Kelly, 64, compiled a 34-14 record at LSU. His 200-76 career record (10-6 in bowl games) includes stops at Central Michigan (2004-06), Cincinnati (2007-09) and Notre Dame (2010-21).

Associate head coach/running backs coach Frank Wilson is serving as interim head coach for the rest of the season. The Tigers (5-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) fell 20-9 at No. 4 Alabama on Saturday in Wilson’s debut.

–Field Level Media

Pat Fitzgerald feels ‘100% vindicated’ by Northwestern settlement

Posted on 6 November 2025 | by Field Level Media

Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald broke his long silence Thursday, telling ESPN he feels “100% vindicated” by this summer’s settlement of his wrongful termination lawsuit.

In his first public comments since he was fired in July 2023 after 17 seasons, Fitzgerald also told the “College Game Day” podcast that he is actively seeking a return to coaching.

Northwestern fired Fitzgerald following allegations of hazing in the football program. He sued the school for $130 million and settled for an undisclosed amount in August.

“I feel 100% vindicated,” Fitzgerald said. “… Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to talk about other things a part of that settlement, but I feel very, very vindicated.”

Fitzgerald said he feels “very fortunate” with how he has been treated while exploring job opportunities.

“It’s been great working through this process,” he said. “There’s been conversations with a lot of folks. It’s been face-to-face, it’s been on Zoom, it’s been phone calls. (My candidacy has) been received very well.”

An All-American linebacker at Northwestern in the mid-1990s, Fitzgerald guided his alma mater to a 110-101 record with 10 bowl appearances on the sideline from 2006-22. He was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018.

Northwestern initially suspended Fitzgerald for two weeks during its investigation into allegations of hazing and sexual abuse made by a former player in late 2022. The school changed course and fired him a few days later.

After its settlement, Northwestern released a statement that said its investigation “did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing.”

Fitzgerald told the podcast he still has strong feelings toward the university.

“I love Northwestern. Unfortunately, things went the way that they went. It’s all about how you respond. If you talk to anyone that’s been around me, (my wife) Stacy and our boys the last few years. The Fitzgerald family is going to respond and respond boldly.

“It’s not been an easy road. We let the facts speaks for themselves, and we’re ready to move forward and move on.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald gestures to the referees in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ryan Field. Wisconsin defeated Northwestern 42-7. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Northwestern and ex-coach Pat Fitzgerald settle suit

Posted on 21 August 2025 | by Field Level Media

Northwestern has reached a settlement in former football coach Pat Fitzgerald’s wrongful termination lawsuit.

Terms were not disclosed but Fitzgerald’s attorneys called it a “satisfactory settlement” on Thursday, per ESPN.

Fitzgerald sued the university for $130 million in October 2023. He was fired in July 2023 amid allegations of hazing within the Wildcats’ program.

“For the past two years, I have engaged in a process of extensive fact and expert discovery, which showed what I have known and said all along-that I had no knowledge of hazing ever occurring in the Northwestern football program and that I never directed or encouraged hazing in any way,” Fitzgerald said in a statement on Thursday.

Fitzgerald, 50, acknowledged that hazing did occur during his tenure as head coach at his alma mater from 2006-22 but that he was unaware of the problem at the time.

“I am extremely disappointed that members of the team engaged in this behavior and that no one reported it to me,” he said, “so that I could have alerted Northwestern’s Athletic Department and administrators, stopped the inappropriate behavior, and taken every necessary step to protect Northwestern’s student athletes.”

Fitzgerald, an All-American linebacker at Northwestern in the mid-1990s, compiled a 110-101 record over 17 seasons on the sideline in Evanston, Ill. His Wildcats were 5-5 in bowl games.

A statement released by the university said Fitzgerald did not condone or direct the hazing.

“While the litigation brought to light highly inappropriate conduct in the football program and the harm it caused, the evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing,” the statement read. “Moreover, when presented with the details of the conduct, he was incredibly upset and saddened by the negative impact this conduct had on players within the program.”

Fitzgerald’s case had been scheduled to go to trial in November.

“The rush to judgment in the media in July of 2023 and the reports that suggested I knew about and directed hazing are false and have caused me, my wife, and my three sons great stress, embarrassment, and reputational harm in the last two years,” Fitzgerald said. “Though I maintain Northwestern had no legal basis to terminate my employment for cause under the terms of my Employment Agreement, in the interest of resolving this matter and, in particular, to relieve my family from the stress of ongoing litigation, Northwestern and I have agreed to a settlement, and I am satisfied with the terms of the settlement.”

More than 50 former student-athletes filed lawsuits related to the hazing scandal. Northwestern settled the last 34 of those suits in May.

–Field Level Media

ACC, Florida State, Clemson to dismiss cases against each other

Posted on 4 June 2025 | by Field Level Media

After nearly two years of infighting, litigation involving Florida State, Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference is finally over.

The three sides filed to dismiss cases against one another on Tuesday, ending more than 17 months of legal battles in three different states.

The two schools and the conference approved the settlement’s terms in March, which clarified if and when Florida State and Clemson — or any other ACC member — could leave the conference.

Among the terms of the settlement, schools would keep their own TV rights as opposed to the league. On top of that, per a presentation to Clemson trustees in March, exit fees would drop annually from $165 million in fiscal year 2026 to around $75 million in 2030-31.

Florida State first sued the ACC in December 2023 (in Florida, of course) followed by Clemson (in South Carolina) as the two schools explored joining a different conference. There were growing concerns that league revenues were falling behind those of the SEC and Big Ten, not to mention the ACC falling behind competitively relative to other conferences.

The Charlotte-based ACC, in turn, filed lawsuits in North Carolina against Florida State and Clemson as it looked to enforce the “Grant of Rights” agreements and the league’s exit penalties.

The March settlement agreement also created a new avenue for the ACC to share revenue with its members as about 60 percent of conference payouts would be distributed based on TV viewership of football and men’s basketball.

“Today’s resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement at the time. “As we look ahead to our collective long-term future, I want to express my deepest appreciation to the ACC Board of Directors for its ongoing leadership, patience and dedication throughout this process.

“The league has competed at the highest level for more than 70 years and this new structure demonstrates the ACC embracing innovation and further incentivizing our membership based on competition and viewership results. The settlements, coupled with the ACC’s continued partnership with ESPN, allow us to focus on our collective future — including Clemson and Florida State — united in an 18-member conference demonstrating the best in intercollegiate athletics.”

–Field Level Media

Report: Power 5, NCAA reach historic agreement to pay players

Posted on 24 May 2024 | by Field Level Media

The SEC and Pac-12 joined the three other power conferences – the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 – and the NCAA in agreeing on a multi-billion-dollar settlement that would allow schools to directly pay student-athletes for the first time in NCAA history, ESPN reported on Thursday.

“The five autonomy conferences and the NCAA agreeing to settlement terms is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come,” NCAA president Charlie Baker and the five power conference commissioners said in a joint statement Thursday evening.

With the NCAA’s board agreeing to the terms of the settlement — which would also resolve three federal antitrust cases — former college athletes are one step closer to getting over $2.7 billion in back damages over the next decade because of previous restrictions on name, image and likeness (NIL) deals.

Future athletes also would benefit, as the Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten — three of the defendants in the case — are hoping to put a system in place that would give schools the power to pay them about $20 million per year in permissive revenue sharing.

Such payments wouldn’t start until fall of 2025.

The ACC and Big 12 accepted the terms of the settlement on Tuesday. The Big Ten joined in on Wednesday.

Per the terms of the agreement, athletes won’t be able to sue the NCAA in future antitrust lawsuits and must drop their complaints in three current lawsuits: Carter v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and House v. NCAA.

Former Colorado football player Alex Fontenot’s lawsuit against the NCAA is not included in this pending settlement. Fontenot’s suit is regarding how the NCAA shares TV revenues with players.

The settlement is not yet official as it requires the approval of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who is presiding over the three antitrust cases. Also, if players choose to join Fontenot’s lawsuit, the settlement agreed on by the NCAA and Power 5 could be rendered null and void.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder on the field before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders, D.C. settle ticket refund lawsuit

Posted on 10 April 2023 | by Field Level Media

Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwab reached a $625,000 settlement with the Washington Commanders to resolve a lawsuit related to the NFL team failing to return ticket deposits.

The AG’s office made the announcement on Monday with additional steps for the franchise to take to meet the approval of terms established by the settlement, but the Commanders and Pro-Football Inc. were granted “no admission of guilt of wrongdoing” in the matter.

At least $200,000 in ticket deposits are due to be refunded, Schwab said.

While the Commanders are required to give public updates on the team’s website regarding refunds to fans and the status of repayments, the settlement says “Defendant denies all of the District’s allegations and claims, including that it has violated any consumer protection laws, including the CPPA. No part of this settlement, including its statements and commitments, shall constitute evidence of any liability, fault, or wrongdoing by Defendant.”

Owner Dan Snyder is in the process of selling the franchise while wading through litigation related to alleged financial malfeasance and workplace conduct.

Formal bids to purchase the team are being submitted, with reports Snyder would only sell the team if the price reaches $6 billion.

–Field Level Media

Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: NFL to approve Stan Kroenke debt to pay St. Louis settlement

Posted on 18 October 2022 | by Field Level Media

Final approval from the NFL for Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s $571 million to settle a relocation lawsuit with St. Louis is expected from the league on Tuesday, per multiple reports.

Kroenke owes St. Louis the balance of what was a $790 million settlement for moving the team to Los Angeles. The NFL collectively contributed $219 million, leaving Kroenke to pay the rest only after owners waive the limit in place on allowable debt for owners.

The final approval is expected at the NFL owners’ quarterly meeting Tuesday in New York.

A settlement was first reached last year, more than four years after the lawsuit originated. The NFL pushed for the agreement in part due to a decision from the judge ruling financial information and records of all NFL owners could be included.

The Rams won the Super Bowl in February and have largely been a success in Los Angeles under head coach Sean McVay.

After 21 years in St. Louis, Kroenke moved the Rams to Los Angeles and the NFL supported the move, helping fund a stadium project that cost more than $1.6 billion in Inglewood, Calif. The Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, who fled San Diego in 2017, are co-tenants at SoFi Stadium, which also houses NFL and NFL media offices.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was welcomed with cheers during Saturday's training camp, the first day of practice that was open to fans.

Attorney: Deshaun Watson has settlements with 23 of 24 accusers

Posted on 1 August 2022 | by Field Level Media

Plaintiffs attorney Tony Buzbee revealed Monday that Deshaun Watson settled with three more accusers and has undisclosed deals with 23 of 24 women who have accused him of inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.

Buzbee refused to reveal the plaintiff who has not settled with Watson after 20 other women previously reached confidential settlements with him in June.

All 24 women accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions that took place in 2020 and early 2021. The allegations invited an NFL investigation that is reportedly close to being finalized with the suggestion Monday from a league-appointed judge, disciplinary officer Sue Robinson, to suspend Watson for the first six games of the 2022 season.

“After lengthy and intense negotiations, I can confirm that, late last night, our team resolved three of the four remaining civil cases with Deshaun Watson,” Buzbee said in a statement Monday. “We will continue to discuss the remaining case with Watson’s legal team, as appropriate.”

Ashley Solis was the first plaintiff to come forward and said Watson caused his genitals to touch her without her consent.

The 26-year-old Watson sat out the entire 2021 season with the Houston Texans, who have settled out-of-court financial agreements with all accusers. Watson was traded to the Cleveland Browns and in the midst of the controversy, signed a five-year, $230 million contract, all while he denied any wrongdoing.

His attorney, Rusty Hardin, maintained at the outset that accusers had come forward seeking “payday” out of their connection with Watson.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson talks with head coach Kevin Stefansky after minicamp on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 in Canton, Ohio, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Browns Hof 4

Texans settle with 30 Deshaun Watson accusers

Posted on 15 July 2022 | by Field Level Media

The attorney representing Deshaun Watson’s accusers says 30 women have reached confidential settlements with the Houston Texans.

“Today all of the women who have made, or intended to make, claims against the Houston Texans organization have resolved their claims,” attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement on Friday. “The terms of the settlements, to include the amounts paid each, are confidential.

“I will have no further comment on the allegations or the Texans’ alleged role, other than to say that there is a marked contrast in the way in which the Texans addressed these allegations, and the way in which Watson’s team has done so.”

Watson, now with the Cleveland Browns, was sued by 24 women who accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions when he played for the Texans.

One of those women also sued the Texans, alleging the team had enabled Watson’s behavior. That lawsuit is now settled, according to Buzbee.

Watson, 26, announced his own settlements last month with 20 of the 24 women who filed civil lawsuits. Buzbee previously said the four pending cases remain active and on track for trial in 2023.

Watson repeatedly has denied any wrongdoing and has never been arrested or charged.

Watson is awaiting a decision from the NFL about a possible suspension for violating the league’s conduct policy.

Disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, a former U.S. District Court judge who was jointly selected to oversee the case by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, is expected to issue a ruling before the Browns report to training camp on July 26.

“We were shocked and deeply saddened when we first learned of the allegations against our then franchise quarterback in March 2021,” a statement from the Texans’ Janice McNair and Hannah and Cal McNair said Friday.

“Although our organization did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson’s alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably. This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.

“We hope that today’s resolution will provide some form of closure to the parties involved, our fans and the Houston community at large.”

The Texans held Watson out of action for the entire 2021 season as he was under investigation for criminal wrongdoing. However, he was never indicted, and the Browns acquired him in a March trade, giving up three first-round draft picks.

Cleveland also signed the three-time Pro Bowl selection to a five-year contract that will pay him a guaranteed $230 million. However, Watson’s salary for 2022 reportedly is just $1 million to protect against the possibility that he could be facing a lengthy ban.

–Field Level Media