• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 18, 2025

Lawyers Allege NCAA Documents Related To Head Injuries Have ‘Disappeared’

  • Testimony in the wrongful death suit revealed decades of sports medicine documents disappeared from NCAA archives.
  • Plaintiff lawyers alleged in court documents the NCAA may have destroyed them, though the NCAA denies this.
(NCAA-Congress)
Charlie Nye/Indianapolis Star

The NCAA keeps meticulous records of all its past documents at the national office, from emails to old news bulletins. The collection is so expansive that the governing body employs librarians to manage it.

And yet, 30 years’ worth of sports injury handbooks have disappeared from the archives, according to testimony from Gee v. NCAA.

In court documents, Alana Gee’s lawyers alleged that the NCAA may have intentionally destroyed the documents in order to hide evidence about what it knew about brain injuries and when. 

The NCAA attempted to get the evidence excluded from trial, saying there were never any handbooks. But testimony from NCAA employees and a historian paint a different picture.

The testimony is part of a trial that could finally provide a ruling on the NCAA’s responsibility with protecting college football players from brain injuries, which began on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The case centers around former USC linebacker Matthew Gee, who was diagnosed with CTE after he died in 2018 at the age of 49 — a death for which his widow says the NCAA is responsible.

The NCAA Is Going To Trial Over Traumatic Brain Injuries

A jury could finally rule on NCAA liability with traumatic brain injuries.
October 8, 2022

In 2003, when the NCAA was in the process of moving its library, an NCAA librarian asked an official in an email what should be kept from the NCAA’s Sports Science Collection. It was unclear what was decided — but almost two decades later, sports medicine historian Stephen Casper couldn’t find them in NCAA archives, he said during live testimony. 

NCAA employees themselves were unaware the documents were missing. During a pre-recorded deposition, a plaintiff lawyer informed former NCAA researcher Todd Petr that an entire shelflist titled “NCAA Sports Sciences Collection” — including Sports Injuries handbooks from 1934-61 — had vanished. 

“You’re telling me that all of these documents are missing from the library?” Petr responded. When asked whether Petr might have any explanation as to why the documents are gone, he said: “No, I don’t.”

As part of research for the case, Casper was able to find some documents in university-specific libraries, like at DePaul. But he confirmed that the NCAA’s own collections did not contain them.

Alana Gee is asking for $1.8 million in damages, as well as the return of funds the NCAA procured as a result of its alleged negligence.

USC Player’s Widow Seeks Almost $2M in Damages from NCAA

The number was revealed during Friday’s opening arguments for Gee v. NCAA.
October 21, 2022

The NCAA, however, contends that Gee’s death resulted from previous health problems, and that responsibility for athlete health and safety rests with schools rather than the national office.

If the NCAA loses, it could owe hundreds of millions, face a flood of future lawsuits, and gain an incentive to revise its still-flimsy concussion protocols.

Editor’s Note: Reporting of Gee v. NCAA was assisted by Courtroom View Network, which provided a livestream of the trial.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

(NCL_OSU_11_SUGAR_LAURON 04JAN11) Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) slips around the Arkansas Razorbacks defense during first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, January 4, 2011.

Terrelle Pryor’s Case for NIL Backpay Dismissed in Court

Pryor played seven years in the NFL after leaving OSU amid a scandal.
exclusive

Fox Sports Nearing Deal for Dave Portnoy on ‘Big Noon,’ Barstool on..

Barstool content could fill some FS1 airtime vacated by three canceled shows.
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian waits to lead his team out of the tunnel ahead of the Longhorns' game against the Baylor Bears, Saturday, Sept. 23 at McLane Stadium in Waco.

Is a Texas Takeover About to Hit the SEC, On and Off..

The Longhorns are favored to win the SEC in their second year in the conference.
Georgia takes the field for the first half of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

SEC Lands Starring Role in Netflix College Football Docuseries

Netflix brings its sports storytelling to the heart of SEC football.

Featured Today

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway walks off the court after losing to Colorado State Rams at Climate Pledge Arena.

Memphis Basketball and Softball Placed on NCAA Probation

Memphis has had multiple NCAA issues since hiring Penny Hardaway.
July 16, 2025

Alabama’s New Era Contends With NIL—and Nick Saban Rumors

Kalen DeBoer is entering his second season as head coach.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
July 16, 2025

President Trump Is Actively Working on an NIL-Related Executive Order

It’s unclear what the executive order would include.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
July 15, 2025

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.
July 15, 2025

Georgia’s Kirby Smart Says Money Is Making Players Too Comfortable

The football coach is concerned about the revenue-sharing era.
July 14, 2025

Lane Kiffin: ‘Doesn’t Seem’ Like CFB Revenue-Sharing Cap Works Very Well

The outspoken Ole Miss football coach isn’t impressed with revenue-sharing guidelines.