The final arguments over the contentious issue of roster limits have been filed in the 2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement and it is once again up to a federal judge to determine the next move.
In the eyes of one attorney, the choice is simple. Either U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken signs off on the latest proposal or it's on to a trial that would throw the college athletics into chaos for the foreseeable future.
"She made it very clear," said attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represented thousands of players in the case against the NCAA and the nation's biggest conferences. "She said, 'You have one chance to fix it.' I believe we 100 fixed it. If she disagrees, we go to trial."
Sent back to the bargaining table last month by Wilken, attorneys on both sides agreed to a proposal that would allow players who were cut due to the expected implementation of roster limits to regain spots on their previous teams or move to new ones either way, they would not count against the newly implemented roster caps.
Athletes objecting to this solution argued that the damage has already been done when their spots were lost. They urged the judge to reject the proposal and Friday was the deadline for the latest round of filings. Wilken is expected to rule soon - perhaps by next week - on whether to accept the latest proposal or put the possibility of a trial that likely wouldn't begin until at least next fall on the table.