A federal judge in Oakland, California, has signed off on a more than $208 million settlement between the National Collegiate Athletic Association and athletes who brought a class action against the organization in an attempt make more money available to players to cover the cost of attending college.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California granted final approval of the settlement on Dec. 6. She also approved more than $41 million in attorney fees to class counsel, making up 20 percent of the overall award.

“Plaintiffs' counsel, who have litigated numerous antitrust and other matters against the NCAA over the years, believe this is an exceptional result for the proposed class,” Wilken wrote in her opinion signing off on the fees. “As this court knows, antitrust matters against the NCAA involve unique arguments and have had narrow historical success. And the NCAA has been willing to devote significant resources to vigorously defending them, including on appeal. Thus, not only is the monetary size of the settlement a major benefit to the class, the likelihood of near-term payout is also significant.”