Players in video game settlements could reportedly receive up to $20,000

The college football and basketball players whose likenesses appeared in NCAA-themed video games could receive as much as $20,000 each.

The terms were reached as a part of the proposed $20 million settlement between the NCAA and a group of players led by former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller, as well as the proposed $40 million settlement in the claims against video game manufacturer Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Company.

According to USA Today, the settlements’ “combined value per player” depends on “the number of players who can make valid claims, whether a player was on a football or men’s basketball roster, whether a player also was depicted in a game as an avatar, whether a player’s photograph also appeared in the game, and the number of years in which a player was on a roster, appeared in the game and/or had their photograph used in the game.”

If a player “appeared as an avatar” in four different years of the game, the player could receive $5,000 per year for a total of $20,000.

“This is a great settlement. It will benefit all of these student-athletes, former and current – and this is real money,” said Robert Carey, an attorney for the Keller plaintiffs.

According to CBSSports.com, the cap of $5,000 per roster appearance would be made up of $1,818 from the NCAA settlement and $3,182 from the EA settlement. Additionally, an appearance on a video game roster from a player since May 5, 2007 “is worth eight times the amount from before that date.”

Per CBSSports.com, the Keller plaintiffs say they have a “working database of players” from the games that includes over 3,900 teams and 75,000 players. Proving a likeness is based on “matching uniform number, school, division, sport, position and home state.”

The NCAA has reportedly agreed to reach out to schools in order locate players based on their last known contact information.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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