The NCAA once again just happens to find themselves in deep trouble because a jury just slapped them with a hefty bill over how they handled head injuries in the past. They were responsible for the tragic decline of John Thomas Davis, a former SMU lineman from the late 1950s. Davis’s family took the NCAA to court. They argued that the organization’s “empty” safety promises led to Davis developing Stage IV Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a devastating brain disease caused by repeated head hits.

The jury was so moved by the story that they slapped the NCAA with a $30 million bill. If you look at the bigger picture, it’s part of a $140 million trouble because there are hundreds of other families lined up to do the exact same thing.

The most shocking part of the eight-decade-old claim is that the family’s lawyers dug up evidence suggesting the NCAA knew about the fatal risks of head injuries as far back as the early 1900s. They argued that for over 80 years, the NCAA chose to prioritize the “gladiator” image of college football and its big broadcasting profits over the basic health of the kids on the field.

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By showing the NCAA knew the risks but did not create clear safety rules, whatsoever, or warn players about long-term brain damage until the 2010s, the Davis family was able to get past the legal protection that usually blocks these kinds of old claims.

This $30 million loss isn’t an isolated incident.

It follows an $18 million verdict in South Carolina just months ago, and there are over 500 similar lawsuits currently lined up in the “concussion litigation” pipeline. When you combine these payouts with the $2.77 billion they already agreed to pay in the House v. NCAA settlement.

The organization is looking at a total bill that could bankrupt their current business model. They are fighting a multi-front war where they have to pay for the sins of the past while trying to fund the professionalized future of college sports. Both often don’t go hand-in-hand.

Why NCAA will fall down?

For decades, the NCAA’s secret weapon was their “delay and pray” strategy: they would drag out legal battles for years until families were too exhausted to continue, or they would offer small, quiet settlements with strict non-disclosure agreements. This SMU case changed everything because it went to a full jury trial and resulted in defeat in front of the public.

Now that there is a clear example of how to win a case against the NCAA, many former players are starting to take action. A lot of them are now in their 60s and 70s and are dealing with memory loss or signs of dementia. They believe they now have a real chance to hold the organization responsible for pushing a “play through the pain” culture.

In the end, the NCAA is being made to pay for years of bad decisions. For a long time, it said it was just a non-profit that cared about student-athletes. But these court cases show it made a lot of money while ignoring serious health risks. Even though schools like Southern Methodist University earn millions today, the NCAA is now dealing with the harm caused many decades ago.