• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

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

Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James (6) tackles Georgia Bulldogs tight end Oscar Delp (4) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football matchup Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Florida Gators 34-20.

Florida-Georgia Rivalry Hits the Road—Still Nets Almost $10M Payouts

The annual rivalry game in Jacksonville is taking a two-year road trip.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) takes hits from UCLA Bruins linebacker Jalen Woods (9) and defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (18) during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl Lawsuit Claims UCLA Tried to Move Games to SoFi Stadium

UCLA has called the Rose Bowl home since the early 1980s.

SEC-Led College Football TV Ratings Are Still Up 4% Through Week 9

The average game audience this season is 1.95 million viewers.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
October 28, 2025

SEC Coaches Kiffin, Smart Question LSU’s Firing of Kelly: ‘Ridiculous’ 

Three SEC teams have fired their football coaches midseason.
Sankey
October 28, 2025

SEC’s Sankey Blasts NCAA Plan to Allow Pro Sports Betting

NCAA athletes can bet on professional sports starting Nov. 1.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to an audience at Louisiana Tech University on Aug. 25, 2025.
October 28, 2025

Why Louisiana’s Governor Was Involved in the Brian Kelly Firing

Jeff Landry reportedly hosted a meeting at the governor’s mansion Sunday.
Brian Kelly
October 28, 2025

CFB Firings Tracker: LSU Owes Brian Kelly $53 Million

The sum owed Kelly slightly tops James Franklin’s at Penn State. 
Tigers Head Coach Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
October 27, 2025

College Football Coach Buyouts Are Not What They Seem

LSU will likely not have to pay Kelly the $53 million he has left on his contract.
October 26, 2025

LSU Ends Brian Kelly Era, $53M Buyout Negotiations Underway

The Tigers fell to 5–3 after losing to Texas A&M.