With latest NCAA settlement, there’s no going back to what college sports once was

Thinking out loud…while wondering if RSVP’ing to a wedding invitation “maybe next time” is a proper response…

The future of college athletics is anything but secure these days. Change is here.

A likely $2.8 billion payout over the next 10 years to settle NIL “back pay” looms in the immediate future as the NCAA and power conferences move forward – and those outside the power leagues are left to twist in the wind, force fed a settlement like a little kid eating his vegetables.

The settlement agreed upon in the past week could resolve three major antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA that carry the threat of some $20 billion in damages, which would certainly deal a crippling blow to the organization. So, you see the “why” behind the need to settle.

More: NCAA lawsuit settlement agreement allowing revenue sharing with athletes faces unresolved questions

The settlement was also thought to be a move toward eliminating school collectives, since the schools themselves will begin sharing revenue (i.e. paying) with their athletes. That likely won’t be the case, however.

Too much toothpaste has been squeezed from that tube for collectives to disappear. It’s already become big business. And schools can fund those collectives (as will donors), essentially paying athletes for marketing services.

Has anyone stopped to consider – settling these cases also might SAVE the NCAA? And SAVE the beloved NCAA Basketball Tournament?

Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel penned a piece on this as the conferences began approving legal settlements last week – and he hit on a key point: The power leagues need everyone else (the non-FBS conferences, like the Big East) to kick into the legal kitty over the next 10 years.

Without them, the bigger boys can’t earn what they hope to profit, and risk losing billions in court. And perhaps more importantly, they can’t go off on their own and break away from the NCAA to form a “super league” as has been mentioned.

Oh, they CAN do that. But at a very…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/latest-ncaa-settlement-theres-no-130202872.html

Author : The Providence Journal

Publish date : 2024-05-31 13:02:02

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