COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The House v. NCAA settlement is paving the way for athletes to maximize their brands on and off the field by allowing schools to pay them directly starting July 1.

“It’s the largest, most significant change in college sports business that we’ve ever seen,” said Luke Fedlam, a corporate attorney and sports law advisor with Amundsen Davis Law Firm.

The multi-billion-dollar settlement includes the NCAA paying nearly $2.8 billion in back pay to former athletes who played in 2016 through present day and giving schools the ability to pay current athletes a limited amount. The annual cap is expected to start at $2.5 million per school with yearly increases. The deal currently lasts for 10 years. Schools can also get directly involved with NIL deals with student athletes.

“One of the things I think is important about this ruling is that it does bring some certainty and a level of certainty to the college sports industry that has really been in a tumultuous kind of time, the wild, wild, West period. This finally brings at least some level of understanding that we’re all moving in the same direction,” said Fedlam.

The NIL expert said the “most significant” sticking point in the judge’s analysis of approving the settlement was roster management. Roster limits go into effect, trimming scholarships for football down to 105 with no walk-on spots. However, student-athletes recruited in the 2025-2026 academic year who lost an opportunity because of roster limits or current athletes facing the same challenge will be viewed as “Designated Student Athletes.”

“Throughout their period of eligibility, they will be able to always be on a roster without affecting the number or the limitation on those roster limits,” said Fedlam.

With the settlement comes the launch of the College Sports Commission, an independent third party, created to enforce NIL rules and regulations. The Commission will oversee Deloitte’s “NIL Go,” a platform used to assess fair market value regarding NIL deals over $600 and monitor whether the deals should be challenged.

The settlement is with the Power Five schools; however, Fedlam noted that other schools can opt into the revenue-sharing model.

“Everything that I’ve heard over the last really 72 hours or so has really been, people are excited that it actually is finally approved,” said Fedlam.

The settlement aims to streamline how NIL is handled. In response, Ohio State launched a unified NIL management team called the “Buckeye Sports Group.” Athletes are not considered employees of the school.

“That is something that was not dealt with in this settlement and something that is going through the court process now, but student athletes are currently not employees,” said Fedlam.

While the landmark settlement sparks a new era in college sports, Fedlam believes Congressional action will be taken in the near future.

In this episode of Monday Night Therapy, host Minnie Hunt is joined by Pigskin PD (Peter Bartell) and law professor Adam Lamparello for an in-depth look at the NCAA House Settlement and its massive impact on the future of college football. The panel breaks down how the new system allows universities to pay up to $20.5 million annually to athletes, alongside NIL deals, and explores the legal, competitive, and Title IX ramifications. Adam explains why this structure may further widen the gap between powerhouse programs and smaller schools—sparking antitrust concerns and long legal battles.

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The conversation also dives into Nebraska football’s identity, the importance of returning to its physical, trench-dominant style, and head coach Matt Rhule’s efforts to rebuild the program. The group reflects on Nebraska legends like Tommy Frazier and Lawrence Phillips while discussing NIL’s broader impact on player movement, recruiting, and competitive balance across college football.

If you’re passionate about Nebraska football history, college football NIL, or the changing landscape of the sport, this is an essential discussion. Plus, hear some fun memories about the 1869 Rutgers-Princeton game and Nebraska’s storied quarterback legacy.

#NebraskaFootball #CollegeFootballHistory #NIL #NCAASettlement #GoBigRed

More from cornnation.com:

The term student-athlete died on Friday.

For years, the NCAA has attempted to distinguish its players from professionals, emphasizing that they are students first. That mirage now seems lost forever.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval to the landmark settlement in the House vs. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, which had been ongoing for five years, ending nearly a year of negotiations and revisions. The $2.8 billion, 10-year settlement will pay past players for missed name, image and likeness opportunities and allow colleges to pay current players directly starting July 1.

As schools of all levels throughout the country scramble to figure out what’s next, McNeese State officials say they are ready for the future.

“It’s a new and exciting time for college athletics,” McNeese Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer said. “My staff and I have been working for over a year to prepare. We’ve considered how these changes will impact McNeese athletics and also how we can best position ourselves.”

Schroyer said McNeese will buy into the program, while other Football Championship Subdivision and Southland Conference schools will consider opting out. Houston Christian is likely one of those.

“We’ve decided to opt in and bring our collective/NIL in-house and participate in revenue sharing,” he said. “We’ll keep the same scholarship numbers this first year for each sport. During this first year, we will evaluate both our financial situation and the national landscape.”

With the NIL becoming entirely in-house, the Ranch Collective, which previously ran the program, will transition into a new role, said Keifer Ackley, assistant AD for NIL and Student-Athlete at McNeese.

“This will allow us to streamline the process,” Ackley said. “This will make us more transparent.”

The Ranch Collective is likely to transition into a more marketing-focused tool for the university, he said.

For now, it appears all programs will remain, but this is a fluid situation on all levels, and McNeese’s goal, Schroyer said, remains to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision level if the opportunity arises. There is also no telling what will come next as lawsuits are expected to be filed over a variety of concerns.

“Sometimes these decisions aren’t popular with everyone, and that’s OK,” Schroyer said. “I get it. The only constant in life is change; college athletics have undergone significant changes in the last few years, and this trend is likely to continue.”

NCAA President Charlie Baker wrote an open letter after the settlement:

“Approving the agreement reached by the NCAA, the defendant conferences and student-athletes in the settlement opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports,” Baker wrote. “This new framework that enables schools to provide direct financial benefits to student-athletes and establishes clear and specific rules to regulate third-party NIL agreements marks a huge step forward for college sports.”

Earlier this spring, Baker spoke to McNeese athletes about the future of college sports and seemed shocked by the number of players who had transferred to the school.

As part of the settlement, McNeese, along with the other FCS schools, will be required to pay $180,000 this year and between $25,000 and $300,000, which the NCAA will deduct from the funds it provides to the school.

Helping to pay for that will be a 12-game football schedule the FCS is expected to add in future years. The final decision on the extra game will be made in the last week of June.

The settlement is a victory for power conference schools, which easily have the resources to cover the money and compete in what is now an unlimited bidding war.

“The approval of the House settlement agreement represents a significant milestone for the meaningful support of our student-athletes and a pivotal step toward establishing long-term sustainability for college sports, two of the Southeastern Conference’s top priorities,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “As the journey to modernize collegiate sports continues, we remain focused on identifying and implementing innovative opportunities for our student-athletes across all sports while maintaining the core values that make collegiate athletics uniquely meaningful.”

While it’s not clear how it will all play out, McNeese says it expects to pivot with whatever comes next.

Texas A&M’s most significant offseason addition is a matter of debate. Still, in my humble opinion, it is former NC State wide receiver KC Concepcion, who is by far the most dynamic receiver on the 2025 roster and provides starting quarterback Marcel Reed a true No. 1 option, which has been lacking since Ainais Smith departed for the NFL.

Concepcion is one of the best receivers after the catch, averaging 11-plus yards per reception during his 2023 sophomore season. While his production dropped off slightly in 2024, the North Carolina native is poised for his best season yet in OC Collin Klein’s offensive scheme. Off the field, Concepcion is cashing in like many of his college football counterparts in the new NIL era.

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According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Concepcion has secured $2.5 million in NIL earnings ahead of his first season with Texas A&M, working with Sports Representatives The Familie. This is unsurprising given his importance to the program and his talent level.

The House v. NCAA settlement was officially approved last Friday night, as every Power Four program will work with around $20.5 million of the school revenue with their respective college athletes, providing players like Concepcion the financial incentive while making things much clearer with each school directly paying each player.

During his last two seasons at North Carolina State, Concepcion recorded 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 356 rushing yards and two scores.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion has earned $2.5 million in NIL earnings