Things are heating up between the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and some of its basketball and football players.

The case dates back to 2009, when current and former student athletes filed suit against the NCAA, claiming the association conspired against them in an effort not to pay them for their images and likenesses used in video games. The players asked for class action status, and last week, the NCAA filed court papers opposing certification of the class action.

If the NCAA loses its bid to block the cert, it may be pressured to settle the suit, according to Thomson Reuters.

The players are seeking to certify two classes. First, current NCAA Division I men's basketball and football players who say their images are being used without their permission are seeking injunctive relief. And second, the former student-athletes with the same complaint are asking for monetary damages.

The plaintiffs claim in their suit that the association has created “an illegal horizontal cartel” with member organizations that has “conspired to limit and depress the compensation of former student-athletes for continued use of their images to zero.” They also say that the NCAA has illegally commercially benefited from the use of their images.

In its court filing on Thursday, the NCAA said the individuals involved in the suit have too many differences to be allowed to proceed as a class.

Read about more sports-related litigation on InsideCounsel:

Things are heating up between the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and some of its basketball and football players.

The case dates back to 2009, when current and former student athletes filed suit against the NCAA, claiming the association conspired against them in an effort not to pay them for their images and likenesses used in video games. The players asked for class action status, and last week, the NCAA filed court papers opposing certification of the class action.

If the NCAA loses its bid to block the cert, it may be pressured to settle the suit, according to Thomson Reuters.

The players are seeking to certify two classes. First, current NCAA Division I men's basketball and football players who say their images are being used without their permission are seeking injunctive relief. And second, the former student-athletes with the same complaint are asking for monetary damages.

The plaintiffs claim in their suit that the association has created “an illegal horizontal cartel” with member organizations that has “conspired to limit and depress the compensation of former student-athletes for continued use of their images to zero.” They also say that the NCAA has illegally commercially benefited from the use of their images.

In its court filing on Thursday, the NCAA said the individuals involved in the suit have too many differences to be allowed to proceed as a class.

Read about more sports-related litigation on InsideCounsel: