College Football

U of Illinois settles with female athletes, ex-coach Beckman

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:52 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) The University of Illinois has announced a pair of settlements involving former female basketball players who sued the school and its former football coach, Tim Beckman.

Campus officials said Tuesday that the seven former players will receive a one-time payment of $375,000 to split among them. The University of Illinois Board of Trustees must approve the settlement. The women sued in 2015, claiming basketball coaches created a racially hostile environment. The women, through their attorney Terry Ekl, said in a statement that they're happy ''no other student athlete may have to experience what we have.''

The school also said Beckman would receive a one-time payment of $250,000, which doesn't need approval from trustees. Allegations of player abuse led the school to fire Beckman a week before last season started.