Revised settlement offer filed in NCAA concussion lawsuit

In this Nov. 27, 2004 file photo, Bloomington High School running back Adrian Arrington tries to clear a pile of Providence Catholic defenders during the Class 6A championship football game in Champai/ AP

Lawyers representing the NCAA and a group of former football players who are suing the association for head injuries in U.S. District Court in Chicago have presented a new settlement offer to a federal judge.

View NFL Players Sue over Health Issues.

In December, U.S. District Judge John Lee rejected a settlement offer between the two parties. In rejecting the deal, Judge Lee said he was unsure if the $70 million allotted to cover medical expenses of former players that suffered head trauma in their playing careers was sufficient and questioned how the NCAA would penalize colleges that did not follow stricter concussion-management and return-to-play rules for injured athletes proposed in the agreement.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the new agreement, presented Tuesday, is similar to previous one in that it calls for the NCAA to create a $70 million fund to test current and former athletes in both contact and noncontact sports for brain trauma. However, the new settlement contains stronger wording mandating that all NCAA member schools adopt stricter rules for treatment of injured athletes.

In news reports, Joseph Siprut, an attorney representing the players, said he was “hopeful for ultimate approval” of the revised settlement.