A major turning point in college athletics is about to come to fruition. The historic House v. NCAA case is a few steps away from a settlement, which will fundamentally end amateurism as we know it.
For the first time, schools will directly share a portion of revenue with athletes. Scholarship and roster rules are expected to change. Major athletic departments will help pick up a massive check in back damages. Most significantly, the case could help provide some legal protection for college athletics as it heads into the future of the NIL era.
Once all Power Five conferences and the NCAA Board of Governors approve the settlement, it will head back to the plaintiffs for approval. Then, the full group will go in front of a judge to formalize the settlement and institute it. This process could take several weeks.
Here’s how the inevitable settlement will impact athletic departments and the on-field product in the coming years.
The Big Ten, SEC win again
The financial hit for athletic departments, especially among power conferences, will be exorbitant. The NCAA will take on a lion’s share of the cost via reserves, insurance and budget cuts, but the schools themselves are still on the hook. According to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports, power-conference schools are expected to fork up as much as $30 million per year over the next 10 years to cover revenue-sharing distribution, back damages and expanded scholarship costs.
If you wonder why Texas and Oklahoma went to the SEC, while USC and UCLA defected to the Big Ten, the potential cost of litigation played a significant role. A massive new Big Ten television contract could essentially fully cover the cost of the new reality for the Trojans and Bruins.
For other schools, it won’t be as simple. The ACC’s total ESPN television contract cleared $30 million annually per school only in the past few seasons. The ACC and Big 12 both distributed…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/how-looming-house-v-ncaa-settlement-will-impact-college-athletics-on-and-off-the-field-for-years-to-come/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-05-23 22:26:50
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