In the ongoing battle for fair compensation for college athletes, industry leaders are in deep discussions to reach a legal settlement. The case of House v. NCAA is set to go to court in January 2025, with potential damages of over $4 billion at stake. This has prompted many industry leaders to pursue a settlement to avoid such a hefty payout.
Last week, power conference commissioners, general counsels, NCAA President Charlie Baker, NCAA lawyers, and plaintiffs’ attorneys met in the Dallas area, marking a turning point in the discussions. While no deal is imminent, details of a multibillion-dollar settlement may soon be shared with campuses. Despite obstacles and objections at the campus level, progress has accelerated in recent weeks.
The settlement is expected to involve billions in back pay for former athletes and may require the NCAA and conferences to agree on a system for sharing more revenue with players going forward. The top-end revenue share per school is anticipated to be around $20 million annually, although this figure has yet to be finalized.
The idea of revenue sharing stemmed from the SEC-Big Ten joint advisory group announced in February, which consists of university presidents/chancellors and athletic directors. This framework aims to address the issue of compensating college athletes for their contributions to the multi-billion-dollar college sports industry.
