By Alabama Public Radio
Tuscaloosa, AL – Circuit Judge Steven Wilson ordered a new trial in a one-page order saying the judgment was the result of bias, prejudice and emotions. Wilson also ruled Cottrell's attempts to prove the NCAA had promised to pay Culpepper's legal bills is now unlikely, since the 30 million dollar verdict no longer stands. Attorneys for Cottrell immediately began the process of appealing the ruling to the Alabama Supreme Court. Cottrell and former Tide coach Ivy Williams filed suit against Culpepper and the NCAA, claiming they were unable to find comparable employment following the NCAA's investigation and sanctions imposed against Alabama in 2002.