On November 4, 2022, a jury for a wrongful death case came back with the decision that the NCAA should not be responsible for providing the warning for the risk of concussions of the athletes who play.

This case, brought by the widow of a former linebacker for the University of Southern California. The player, Matthew Gee, reportedly lived a healthy life until his chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) started catching up to his mind and body. He died at the age of 49, and his CTE wasn't discovered until after he passed away. This degenerative brain disease appears to be the result of the concussions Matthew received while he was playing football in college, according to his wife.

On Friday, Dr. James C. Puffer testified regarding the risk of concussions in college football. Puffer, who is currently the physician for UCLA's football team, is the former medical committee member for the NCAA.

While under oath, Puffer testified that the NCAA's constitution prevents the NCAA from interfering with the teams' physicians and coach, including the right or responsibility to warn college athletes on the risk of getting a concussion while playing.

Puffer relied on a decision from 1980 where the NCAA's medical committee decided not to implement rules that limited concussed players from playing while concussed. The physical also stated that any "warning" regarding concussions to players would simply worry them unnecessarily. Puffer himself doesn't give "blanket warning" to the athletes in his care either.

Puffer also stated that before the NCAA decides to require that players be informed of concussion possibilities, there must "irrefutable evidence" of CTE and other concussion diseases. Puffer says that this evidence does not exist. On Friday, Puffer attempted to retract this statement, claiming that the term "irrefutable evidence" is possibly too strong of a word to be used. He now states that the committee need only "sound and timely scientific evidence."

Hearings are set to resume on Monday, November 7, 2022, and closing arguments will be heard at the end of the month.

The case is Alana Gee v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, case number 20STCV43627, in the Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County.