More than four decades after North Carolina State stunned Houston in the 1983 NCAA men’s basketball championship game, a North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming the Wolfpack deserve NIL compensation stemming from their famed title run.

On Thursday morning, the Wake County (N.C.) Clerk of Superior Court posted the ruling made by Superior Court Judge Mark A. Davis that dismissed the suit filed in June 2024.

“In this lawsuit, twelve former members of North Carolina State University’s (“NC State”) 1983 NCAA men’s basketball championship team have sued the NCAA for using – without permission – their names, images, and likenesses contained in copyrighted game footage from that season,” Davis wrote at the start of a 44-page order. “Because their claims are untimely, barred by their failure to allege a violation of a legally enforceable right, and preempted by the federal Copyright Act, dismissal of this action in its entirety is appropriate.”

The members of the “Cardiac Pack,” which defeated Hakeem Olajuwon’s heavily favored Houston Cougars on Lorenzo Charles’ buzzer-beating dunk, stated the NCAA and its partners have capitalized illegally on footage such as the championship game’s dramatic finish — which started with Dereck Whittenberg’s last-second heave that missed the rim and concluded with NC State coach Jim Valvano spinning all over the court looking for people to hug.

NC State standouts Thurl Bailey, Terry Gannon and Cozell McQueen were among the players filing the suit. Neither Whittenberg, an associate athletic director at NC State, nor Sidney Lowe, a Detroit Pistons assistant coach, were part of the suit. One player, Quinton Leonard III, was represented by the administrator of his estate. Charles, who died on June 27, 2011, in a bus accident, was not represented.

The NCAA asked the court to dismiss the suit, citing a ruling made in April that rejected claims by Kansas’ Mario Chalmers — who hit a famous shot near the end of the 2008 NCAA title game — and others that they deserve NIL compensation for March Madness advertisements. The judge in that case noted a four-year statute of limitations for federal antitrust violations.

The former NC State players’ lawyer, Raleigh-based Stacy Miller, did not agree with Davis’ ruling.

“This case has always been about standing up for young athletes and shining a spotlight on the NCAA’s abusive practices and continued profiteering off its historical wrongs,” Miller told WRAL.

–Field Level Media

Babatunde Oladotun, considered the top high school recruit in the class of 2027, is reclassifying to the class of 2026 as he prepares to graduate next spring from Maryland’s Blake High School.

Oladotun, 16, expects to remain a top-10 prospect when the next recruiting rankings are updated. He will turn 17 in December.

“First and foremost, I am ahead of schedule academically and will graduate next year,” Oladuton told ESPN. “Most of my life, I have played up in age and after playing in the 17U division for Team Durant, I felt comfortable. I have gained 20 pounds over the last year and it never felt like I was playing up.”

Several high-profile programs are already attempting to land the 6-foot-9 forward, including Maryland, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Gonzaga.

Oladotun plans to visit Maryland and Virginia Tech first, and previously made unofficial visits to UCLA and USC last year.

“We are looking for a coach that has a long history of teaching and winning,” his father, Ibrahim, told ESPN. “Someone who knows how to use a big guard and has a history of coaching big guards. A coach that also plays an NBA-style offense with quick actions.”

Oladotun burst onto the scene after adding 20 pounds over the past year and starring for Team Durant’s 17U team, combining sharp-shooting ability from 3-point range with a deft touch inside the arc.

By reclassifying, Oladotun becomes a favorite to be invited to next year’s McDonald’s All American boys game with the potential to be a top-10 draft pick in 2027.

Oladotun’s father, Ibrahim Oladotun, played two years at Virginia Tech in the early 1990s after beginning his journey in junior college, averaging 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Babatunde follows the path taken by former top prospects AJ Dybantsa and Cooper Flagg, who also reclassified to begin their college careers early.

–Field Level Media