Court Orders NFL to Pay Past Pension Funds

A federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., told NFL team owners Tuesday to pay the players more than $18 million in delinquent pension funds but refused to order improved benefits for retired players.

The three-judge panel also reversed lower-court findings that some pension plan trustees representing the owners breached their duties and that the court could order improvements in pension benefits.

Gene Upshaw, president of the NFL Players Assn., said the amount owed by the owners in the nine-year dispute has grown to nearly $30 million, including interest. The money has been held in a court escrow account.