UNC tennis star Reese Brantmeier has already cemented her legacy as a national champion, but now she's added a different kind of victory to her resume—one that could change the landscape of college sports.

Brantmeier, a senior who helped lead the Tar Heels to their first women's tennis national title in 2023, teamed up with fellow plaintiff Maya Joint to take on the NCAA in a 2024 lawsuit. The issue? NCAA rules prevented athletes from keeping prize money they earned in outside tournaments, only allowing them to claim expenses. For Brantmeier, that meant walking away with just $10,000 of the $50,000 prize she won at the 2021 US Open—while she was still in high school.

The lawsuit, which aimed to let NCAA athletes pocket all winnings from non-collegiate competitions, quickly gained traction and was granted class-action status. After legal back-and-forth, a settlement was reached: the NCAA agreed to pay $2.02 million in damages. While Brantmeier and Joint each received $10,000, the bulk of the money—$2 million—went to administrative costs and attorney fees.

But the real win here isn't the cash. The settlement also forces the NCAA to lift restrictions that prevented athletes from claiming prize money. And while the lawsuit focused on tennis, the ruling applies to all sports, potentially impacting thousands of current and future college athletes. This move further blurs the line between amateur and professional athletics at the college level, but it's hard to argue against fairness. After all, if a benchwarmer in a revenue sport can cash in on NIL deals, shouldn't a star like Brantmeier be able to profit from her own talent?

Now, with the legal battle behind her, Brantmeier can focus on what she does best: leading the UNC women's tennis team in the NCAA Tournament. The Heels tip off their postseason run against Charleston Southern on Friday, May 1st in Chapel Hill.