Deadline set in ex-players' lawsuit against NFL

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A federal judge has told both sides to be ready for trial by Dec. 15 in a lawsuit filed by former players against NFL Films for using their names and images in films and other promotional materials to market the league's glory days.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan of Minneapolis set the date Wednesday dependent on whether any remaining pretrial motions still need to be resolved. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson is slated to hear the case. The schedule has been pushed back several times.

The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2009 on behalf of Elvin Bethea, Jim Marshall, Ed White, Joe Senser, Fred Dryer and Dan Pastorini.

NFL Films says any use of their names and likenesses was permitted through their contracts with NFL teams.