NCAA and Power 5 schools agree to pay college athletes, settling antitrust cases

By Lindsay Burke

The tide in college athletics is rapidly changing. The NCAA along with the power five conferences have approved a deal that would allow schools to pay their athletes directly, and it would resolve three antitrust cases. 

The payout not only includes current and future college athletes, but former ones as well. 

This new deal between the NCAA and its conferences will include the House vs NCAA ruling where former athletes sued the NCAA for use of their names, image and likeness that resulted in revenue for the university. 

According to the Washington Post, this settlement includes $2.8 billion in damages. 

NIL has played a significant role in recruiting for NCAA athletics, including athletes that enter the transfer portal who still seek pay despite changing schools. 

These changes to college athletics were a long time coming, but inevitable with the revenue that major athletic departments bring in each year. 

To put this in a clearer perspective, large athletic powerhouses such as Ohio State ($280 million) and Alabama ($200 million) for example, generated record numbers in revenue during the 2023 year.

The deal between the NCAA and its conferences means that athletes will also receive a cut of money that their schools receive from broadcasting rights along with ticket sales and sponsorships. 

Many would agree that this has been a long time coming for the NCAA given the fact that schools for years have made money off their athletes. 

Despite the agreement being reached, there are many steps that still need to be taken in order for it to be finalized. 

The NCAA is very much a part of a nonstop era and will be closely watched over the next several months to see what change is coming to sports across the country. 

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