CTE Lawsuits Against the NCAA: What Former Players and Families Need to Know

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive brain disease caused by repeated head impacts — and the NCAA knew the risk existed for decades before it told the players absorbing those hits.

 

If you or someone you love played college football and has since been diagnosed with CTE, dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's, you may have the right to hold the NCAA accountable in court. We are one of the first firms to win a jury verdict against the NCAA for latent CTE in a former college football player. We know how these cases are built, how the NCAA defends them, and how to take them to trial.

What Is CTE and Why It Matters in a Lawsuit Against the NCAA

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. It cannot be diagnosed during a player's lifetime — confirmation requires a post-mortem examination of brain tissue, typically performed at a specialized neuropathology center such as the Boston University CTE Center.

 

CTE progresses in four stages. Stage 1 and Stage 2 involve mood changes, impulsivity, headaches, and short-term memory problems. Stage 3 and Stage 4 bring cognitive decline, dementia, loss of executive function, and, in the most advanced cases, a complete erosion of the person the family once knew. Most of the former college football players we represent — and most of the families who contact us after a loved one's death — are dealing with Stage 3 or Stage 4 disease.

 

The legal significance is this: the NCAA was aware of the link between repetitive head impacts and long-term brain disease long before it disclosed that risk to players. That gap between what the NCAA knew and what it told players is the foundation of every CTE lawsuit we file.

The $18 Million Verdict That Changed NCAA Concussion Litigation

On October 23, 2025, a jury in Orangeburg County, South Carolina returned an $18 million verdict against the NCAA in Geathers v. NCAA — the first jury verdict ever obtained against the NCAA for latent CTE and brain disease in a former college football player. The jury deliberated for approximately one hour and fifty minutes. They awarded $10 million to Robert Geathers and $8 million to his wife, Debra.

 

That verdict did not happen by accident. It was the product of years of case development, a proprietary database of video deposition testimony from NCAA executives admitting a duty to protect players, and a trial team that had spent years preparing for exactly this moment.

Who Can File a CTE Lawsuit Against the NCAA

Not every former player or family will qualify. We evaluate each case individually, and we accept roughly one in ten inquiries. The factors that matter most:

 

  • The player must have competed in college football at an NCAA member institution.
  • The player must have a documented diagnosis — or a posthumous CTE diagnosis confirmed by neuropathological examination — of CTE, dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's.
  • The claim must be timely under the applicable statute of limitations, which varies by state and is shaped by the discovery rule.
  • The player's in-career exposure to repetitive head impacts must be documentable through game film, medical records, athletic department records, or witness testimony.

 

Families of deceased players can bring wrongful death and survival claims. A posthumous CTE diagnosis, while required for confirmed CTE, is not always a prerequisite for filing — we evaluate dementia, ALS, and Parkinson's cases on their own facts.

How the Statute of Limitations Works in CTE Cases

One of the most common questions we hear from families is whether it is too late to file. In many cases, it is not — because of a legal doctrine called the discovery rule.

 

In 2018, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Schmitz v. NCAA holding that a former player's knowledge of in-career head injuries was not enough, by itself, to start the limitations clock for latent CTE. The clock does not start until the player knew or reasonably should have known that those injuries were connected to a progressive brain disease. That ruling has shaped how courts across the country analyze the timeliness of NCAA concussion claims.

 

If a family member was diagnosed recently — or if a player has only recently begun showing neurological symptoms — there may still be time to file. Contact us before assuming otherwise.

What the NCAA Knew — and When It Knew It

The NCAA's liability in these cases is not a theory. It is documented in the organization's own records, in the depositions of its executives, and in the internal communications we have obtained and used across multiple state-court matters.

 

We have built a proprietary database of video deposition testimony from NCAA officials acknowledging a duty to protect players from the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma. That testimony — recorded under oath — is among the most powerful evidence we bring to trial. 

CTE Litigation Is Different From the NFL Concussion Settlement

Former NFL players sometimes contact us after their NFL Concussion Settlement claims were denied or undervalued. That settlement is a separate process, governed by a federal court-approved claims program, and it is distinct from the individual NCAA lawsuits we file in state and federal courts.

 

We handle both. David Langfitt has served on the Court-appointed Plaintiffs' Executive Committee for the NFL Concussion Settlement.

 

If you played in both the NFL and college football, we can evaluate both avenues at once.

Frequently Asked Questions About CTE Lawsuits Against the NCAA

  • Can families sue the NCAA after a loved one receives a posthumous CTE diagnosis?

    Yes. If a former college football player is diagnosed with CTE after death through neuropathological examination, surviving family members can bring wrongful death and survival claims against the NCAA. The posthumous diagnosis is often the clearest evidence of the disease, and we have significant experience building these cases on behalf of families.

  • How long does a CTE lawsuit against the NCAA take?

    These are complex cases that typically take several years from filing to trial. Case development involves gathering medical records, athletic department records, game film, and deposition testimony. We are transparent about timelines from the start, and we do not file cases we are not prepared to take to verdict.

  • Does CTE have to be confirmed before we can file a lawsuit?

    Not always. We evaluate cases involving dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's in former college football players, even without a confirmed CTE diagnosis. The underlying mechanism — repetitive head impacts during a player's college career — is the same, and the NCAA's failure to protect players is equally relevant.

  • What does it cost to hire Langfitt PLLC for a CTE lawsuit?

    We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs and no fees unless we recover on your behalf. Because we invest substantially in case development, we evaluate each inquiry carefully and accept roughly one in ten cases.

  • Is it too late to file if the player has been symptomatic for years?

    It depends on the state and the specific facts. The discovery rule — affirmed for NCAA concussion cases by the Ohio Supreme Court in Schmitz v. NCAA — means the limitations clock often does not start until a player or family knew or reasonably should have known about the connection between football and the brain disease. Contact us before drawing your own conclusions about timing.

  • What if the player competed in college football but never played professionally?

    College-only players are precisely who these lawsuits are designed for. The NCAA's duty to protect players ran to everyone who competed under its rules — not only those who went on to professional careers.