SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- An attorney who has brought an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA is requesting more information about a letter Pac-12 presidents sent to leaders of schools in the other four major football conferences proposing sweeping changes to the collegiate model.
Michael Hausfeld sent a signed letter to Arizona State president Michael Crow on Thursday asking what voice athletes would have under the Pac-12's proposed reforms. Hausfeld's law firm released a copy of the letter.
The details of the Pac-12 presidents' letter were reported by FOX Sports Arizona on Tuesday.
Hausfeld is representing former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon and 19 other former athletes who claim the NCAA unlawfully profits off of athletes while restricting their ability to earn income while in college. The trial is scheduled to begin June 9 in Oakland.
Hausfeld and Crow did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday.
In his letter to the Arizona State president, Hausfeld said he is seeking a "clarification" on the Pac-12's proposal. He stated in the letter that "a unilaterally mandated 'reform' short of full equality is neither respective of the rights of those athletes nor of the process by which those rights must be capable of being exercised."
The Pac-12 presidents' overhaul plan includes many proposals commissioners have been advocating for over the past several years, including a stipend for athletes. The NCAA is working on a new governance structure that will allow the five wealthiest conferences -- the Pac-12, SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 -- to make some rules without the support of smaller Division I schools.
The five conferences are seeking decision-making powers in funding the full cost of scholarships, handling health care and other areas involving their athletes. Other changes under consideration include providing money for families to travel to NCAA tournaments, more resources for academic and career counseling, creating mandatory break times from sports and relaxing transfer rules.
