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$2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement hangs in balance as attorneys file brief to address roster-limit concern

The marathon legal battle regarding player compensation and the makeup of college athletics in a landmark, multibillion-dollar antitrust case may have finally hit the homestretch Wednesday night. Attorneys involved in a $2.8 billion settlement filed a brief tweaking the aspect of roster limits in the House v. NCAA settlement, which they hope will convince a […]

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The marathon legal battle regarding player compensation and the makeup of college athletics in a landmark, multibillion-dollar antitrust case may have finally hit the homestretch Wednesday night.

Attorneys involved in a $2.8 billion settlement filed a brief tweaking the aspect of roster limits in the House v. NCAA settlement, which they hope will convince a federal judge to grant final approval. The judge twice voiced concerns over proposed roster limits, a small but significant aspect of the deal that will enable schools to pay athletes a portion of their media revenues, capped at $20.5 million, starting July 1.

Schools will be allowed — but not required — to reinstate players who were cut from rosters during the 2024-25 academic year without those players counting against new roster limits set to be implemented July 1. Purged players exempt from roster limits can also transfer to new schools.

The key language in the brief, however, is that roster-limit exceptions are to be made at a school’s discretion. It remains to be seen if the brief will satisfy Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California, who specifically asked attorneys to “grandfather” all players into the deal, after twice delaying a decision on whether to approve the settlement in April.

“In other words, there are no guarantees that designated student-athletes will get or maintain roster spots,” the NCAA and power conference’s counsel wrote in a supplemental brief Wednesday. “But that does not adversely affect any injunctive relief class member.”

High school seniors who were promised scholarships that were later rescinded because of the proposed roster limits will also be exempt.

Now, college athletics waits – again – for a decision from federal court. Wilken gave preliminary approval in October, speaking in favor of most aspects of the deal. However, she has twice delayed final approval because of language tied to roster limits, which could lead to an estimated 5,000 players being cut from sports across the NCAA. 

Several objectors testified April 7 against replacing scholarship limits with roster limits at a settlement hearing in the District Court of Northern California. In a brief filed April 23, Wilken ordered attorneys to develop a plan to “grandfather” current players into the agreement, allowing schools to temporarily exceed new limits as part of a phase-in solution for rosters. A two-week negotiation ensued.

If Wilken is not satisfied with the parties’ resolution and declines final approval, the case may advance to trial, a daunting prospect for the NCAA, which has been bludgeoned legally over student-athlete compensation and lambasted by the Supreme Court over the last five years. If the NCAA and power conferences lose in trial, the parties could be liable for $20 billion in damages.

If the settlement is not approved, schools may soon turn to their state governments to help legalize direct pay to players, who have planned to be paid a share of the $20.5 million pool next fall.

Wilken’s request on April 23 to renegotiate aspects of roster limits sent shockwaves across the country, complicating matters for many schools that had already begun cutting players from rosters. Under the preliminary settlement released in October, football rosters were set to shrink to 105 players, meaning as many as 30-plus players would be cut at each school. Even before the judge’s final approval, schools began to cut players in the spring in preparation for the settlement’s implementation on July 1.

Putting the toothpaste back in the tube could prove difficult for athletic departments. Some purged players landed at new schools, but many remain without a home, hoping to land again at their former schools. Most schools might be unwilling to re-sign players and spend extra scholarship money – as well as room and board, meals and health care – that balloon already-tight budgets.

In a brief filed April 23, Wilken was unmoved by the schools’ plight, writing that “any disruption that may occur is a problem of Defendants’ and NCAA members schools’ own making.”

The settlement’s touchstones remain uncchanged. Starting July 1, NCAA schools can share as much as $20.5 million in revenue with their athletes, and former athletes who played between 2016 and 2024 will be paid $2.8 billion in back payments if the settlement is approved.

Each school’s revenue-sharing cap will increase 4% each year during the 10-year agreement. 

What is House v. NCAA?

The class-action antitrust lawsuit was filed in 2020 by Arizona State swimmer Grant House and women’s college basketball player Sedona Prince seeking an injunction against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences. It sought to lift restrictions on revenue sharing of media rights revenues. 

Powerful antitrust attorneys Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler represented the plaintiffs.

If approved by the judge, the settlement would resolve three antitrust lawsuits: Carter v. NCAA, House v. NCAA and Hubbard v. NCAA.

What’s next?

A decision: Judge Claudia WIlken will study the brief and decide whether to grant final approval to the House v. NCAA settlement, which was first introduced in October and has included months of negotiations.

Revenue-sharing formula: Many schools are preparing to mirror the back-payment formula in their revenue-sharing model for the future. That means roughly 75% of future revenue will be shared with football players, 15% to men’s basketball, 5% to women’s basketball and 5% to all remaining sports. Those numbers will differ from school to school, but most power programs have shared similar models with administrators.

CBS Sports has learned one school is preparing to share more than 85% of the $20.5 million pool with football players – a reflection of the percentage of annual revenue the sport generates for its athletics department. 

More lawsuits: Concerns over Title IX and antitrust issues will continue after the settlement is approved. However, instead of the NCAA being the target, individual schools may soon become the focus of litigation. Each school will split the revenue pie based on its own formulas, meaning a women’s basketball player may sue a school if they believe they are not receiving their fair share of cash. The same can be said for a football player if their revenue share is lower than that of a rival player at another school. 

The White House is set to weigh in: The NCAA has long lobbied Congress to pass legislation protecting the organization and its members from antitrust litigation. Now the White House has zeroed in on college athletics.

President Donald Trump is creating a presidential commission on college athletics to find solutions for “issues ailing the ecosystem,” according to Yahoo! Sports. Trump was considering an executive order to regulate NIL after meeting with former Alabama coach Nick Saban, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn coach, also met with Trump last week to discuss college athletics. Steve Berman, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the House case, criticized the president’s potential actions, saying that an executive order would lead to more lawsuits.

Sen. Ted Cruz is reportedly drafting a bill that could offer the NCAA limited antitrust protection. It’s not clear how Trump’s plans may affect Cruz’s draft.

New enforcement model: The power conferences are expected to launch soon the College Sports Commission, an enforcement arm to police the settlement among its schools. The new organization effectively replaces the NCAA regarding NIL enforcement, and will monitor NIL deals between players and third parties, and oversee revenue-sharing practices at schools. This new organization will also penalize schools and individuals who break rules. 

Who is footing the bill? The NCAA is responsible for 40% of the $2.8 billion settlement, and the remaining 60% will come from reducing its revenue distributions to the 32 Division I conferences over the next 10 years ($1.6 billion). The NCAA is utilizing a formula based on revenue distribution presented to each league over a nine-year period starting in 2016, which leans heavily on basketball units tied to NCAA Tournament participation, according to Yahoo Sports. The Power Five conferences – ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC – will pay 24% of the overall damages, followed by the Group of Five at 10%.The FCS is on the hook for 14% and non-football conferences in Division I will pay 12% of the overall agreement, according to documents reviewed by CBS Sports.

House v. NCAA settlement terms

  • $20.5 million salary cap for revenue-sharing at each Division I school (starting July 1)
  • $2.77 billion in back payments to as many as 390,000 athletes who played an NCAA sport between 2016 and 2024.
  • Outside NIL deals of more than $600 must be vetted by a third-party clearinghouse
  • NIL deals must meet “fair market value.” How that fair-market value is determined is the subject of intense debate.
  • Unlimited scholarships with new roster size limits
  • At least 88,104 of approximately 390,000 athletes have filed back-pay claims, plaintiff attorney Steve Berman said in April. That number was expected to reach 118,879 at the end of April.
  • 343 athletes opted out of the settlement





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Report: Kentucky to dedicate 45% of revenue sharing budget toward men’s basketball | Sports

With the world of college athletics undergoing major changes nationwide, schools around the country are navigating unfamiliar territory. The latest cause for debate and change, ignoring discussions about NCAA Tournament expansion, has surrounded revenue sharing and changes to NIL following the House vs. NCAA settlement which wrapped up on July 1. Not only did the […]

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With the world of college athletics undergoing major changes nationwide, schools around the country are navigating unfamiliar territory.

The latest cause for debate and change, ignoring discussions about NCAA Tournament expansion, has surrounded revenue sharing and changes to NIL following the House vs. NCAA settlement which wrapped up on July 1.



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Mike Locksley and Maryland have added a reminder near locker room to leave “Louis belts” and “financial statements” outside

By his own admission during Big Ten Media Days today, Mike Locksley lost the Terps locker room last year. “Coach Locks lost his locker room. We had haves and have nots for first time,” Locksley shared, alluding to the NIL era creating a divide in the locker room, a move that everyone could saw coming […]

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By his own admission during Big Ten Media Days today, Mike Locksley lost the Terps locker room last year.

“Coach Locks lost his locker room. We had haves and have nots for first time,” Locksley shared, alluding to the NIL era creating a divide in the locker room, a move that everyone could saw coming but few had a structured plan for the volatile territory college football was welcoming.

The Terps finished last fall near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, ahead of only Purdue at 1-8 in league play and 4-8 overall.

So what did Locksley learn from that experience heading into his seventh season, sitting at 33-41 overall with his rebuild of the Terps?

“The landscape of college football taught me a valuable lesson – if I have to put my desk in the locker room, I will,” he shared.

Taking that a step further, as a constant reminder of the environment they’re trying to create at Maryland, Locksley and his staff decided to put a rather interesting sign outside the locker room.

“You can leave your ‘Louis’ belts, your car keys and your financial statements outside those doors.”

Like the approach or not, Locksley seems clearly determined to not repeat the same mistakes as last year.



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ACC’s Jim Phillips says to give NCAA revenue sharing model a chance amid uncertainty

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Schools have only been able to pay players directly for three weeks, and questions have already surfaced about the sustainability of the new system. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips’ message Tuesday: Give this model a chance to work. “Without question, there’s still significant work to be done, but we must acknowledge that, collectively, […]

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Schools have only been able to pay players directly for three weeks, and questions have already surfaced about the sustainability of the new system.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips’ message Tuesday: Give this model a chance to work.

“Without question, there’s still significant work to be done, but we must acknowledge that, collectively, we are truly in a better place and we have a responsibility to make it work in the future,” Phillips said at the start of his league’s football kickoff.

The questions have centered on whether collectives can continue paying players after the House settlement. Guidance from the College Sports Commission — the new enforcement arm that’s policing deals — suggested those deals aren’t what industry officials consider “legitimate NIL.” Even if the dispute doesn’t trigger more lawsuits, Phillips said Tuesday that the issue could go before a judge for interpretation.

In the meantime, Phillips said the goals of transparency and standardized rules are important to pursue as schools share up to $20.5 million directly with players. He said 15,519 players have registered for the clearinghouse, NIL Go, along with almost 2,000 agents. He also acknowledged the fact that schools have traditionally tried to skirt rules, which is why he’s emphasizing restraint.

“We can’t help ourselves sometimes,” Phillips said. “People know what the rules are relative to $20.5 (million). They know what legitimate NIL is. You can play in that gray area if you want, but all that does is undermine a new structure.

“We fought hard for the things I just mentioned, and we’d be well-served to just kind of relax and let this thing settle in.”

Phillips addressed several other topics Tuesday:

• He favors future College Football Playoff formats that guarantee spots for only the top five conference champions. The Big Ten has advocated for a model that tilts toward itself and the SEC with four bids for those leagues and two apiece for the ACC and Big 12.

Phillips did not address that idea specifically but stressed the “importance of coming together to find a solution that is truly best for all of college football.”

“I want to stay committed to access and fairness to all of college football, not only the ACC,” Phillips added later.

He said he’s open to expansion models that include five conference champions plus either nine or 11 at-large teams.

• The ACC has discussed moving from eight to nine conference games, like the SEC has considered for years. One league’s decision affects the other. Phillips said the ACC prefers eight league games so it can schedule marquee nonconference matchups, like this year’s slate (Clemson-LSU, Florida State-Alabama and North Carolina-TCU). The addition of a ninth conference game for either conference would jeopardize in-state, ACC-SEC rivalries like Florida-Florida State or Georgia-Georgia Tech.

“At the end of the day, I like where our league is,” Phillips said. “But we’ll adjust if we have to.”

• The conference will mandate player availability reports in football, basketball and baseball. The first football report must be submitted two days before a game, then one day before and on the day of. The ACC has not yet come up with a fine structure if coaches or schools are not forthcoming about injuries.

• The ACC will also start fining schools for field/court stormings after games if visiting teams and officials haven’t yet left the area: $50,000 for the first offense, $100,000 for the second and $200,000 for the third. Those fines accumulate over two years.

Also on Tuesday, ESPN announced that it hired former Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher as an analyst for the ACC Network. Fisher led the Seminoles to conference titles from 2012 to 2014 and the national championship in 2013. He left for Texas A&M near the end of the 2017 season.

(Photo: Jim Dedmon / Imagn Images)



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Men’s Soccer Releases 2025 Slate

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Entering year 15 under the direction of head coach Carlos Somoano, the North Carolina men’s soccer program has released its schedule for the upcoming fall season. The schedule features 16 regular-season contests with 10 matches played at Dorrance Field. The 2025 slate includes five teams that finished in the top 25 […]

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Entering year 15 under the direction of head coach Carlos Somoano, the North Carolina men’s soccer program has released its schedule for the upcoming fall season.

The schedule features 16 regular-season contests with 10 matches played at Dorrance Field.

The 2025 slate includes five teams that finished in the top 25 of the final United Soccer Coaches poll last season, highlighted by home games against No. 5 SMU and No. 6 Wake Forest. Including those two, UNC’s opponents feature seven NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

Carolina’s schedule includes home Atlantic Coast Conference matches against Wake Forest (Sept. 12), SMU (Sept. 20), Virginia Tech (Oct. 19) and Duke (Oct. 31). The Tar Heels will hit the road against conference foes NC State (Sept. 5), Virginia (Sept. 27), Louisville (Oct. 3) and Syracuse (Oct. 25).

The Tar Heels open the regular season on Aug. 21, hosting UCF, and wrap up the weekend against Seattle (Aug. 24). The following weekend, the program welcomes Evansville (Aug. 28) to Dorrance Field before hitting the road to Charleston (Sept. 1).

Carolina will also face Memphis (Sept. 16), Lipscomb (Oct. 7), and St. Thomas (Oct. 11) at Dorrance Field, rounding out non-conference play by hosting UAB (Oct. 15).

Prior to the start of the regular season, UNC will head to Campbell for its first preseason test on Aug. 9. The Tar Heels will then host VCU on Aug. 15, for their final exhibition.

North Carolina produced a 9-4-5 (4-3-1 ACC) mark in 2024, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 31st time in program history.

Ticket information for the 2025 campaign will be available soon. For more information visit GoHeels.com/Tickets.

 



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Jim Phillips outlines vision for ACC’s future at 2025 Kickoff

(Photo: Matthew Chase, 247Sports)   Phillips emphasized the ACC’s leadership role in implementing the new College Sports Commission model, which governs NIL, revenue sharing and roster limits. While acknowledging early challenges, he remained optimistic. “We’re being thoughtful about every detail and are committed to progress through learning, adapting, and strengthening the model to support and […]

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(Photo: Matthew Chase, 247Sports)

 

Phillips emphasized the ACC’s leadership role in implementing the new College Sports Commission model, which governs NIL, revenue sharing and roster limits. While acknowledging early challenges, he remained optimistic.

“We’re being thoughtful about every detail and are committed to progress through learning, adapting, and strengthening the model to support and protect college sports for generations to come,” he said.

He also reiterated the ACC’s support of the SCORE Act, a federal bill designed to standardize NIL rules and reaffirm student-athletes’ non-employee status.

“I haven’t had one student-athlete come up to me to say that they want to be an employee,” Phillips said. “I think they appreciate being in college, going to school, working critically hard to earn a valuable degree, and playing a sport at the highest level.”



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South Carolina basketball commit joins Unrivaled NIL League with former Gamecock legends

South Carolina guard Ta’Niya Latson is the latest Gamecock making news off the court, as she has officially signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled, the women’s professional 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Latson is just one of 14 elite women’s college basketball players chosen by the league for NIL partnerships […]

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South Carolina guard Ta’Niya Latson is the latest Gamecock making news off the court, as she has officially signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled, the women’s professional 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Latson is just one of 14 elite women’s college basketball players chosen by the league for NIL partnerships as part of “The Future is Unrivaled Class of 2025”. The group was unveiled during the WNBA All-Star Weekend as Unrivaled ramps up for its second season this winter. The league operates during the WNBA offseason and offers an alternative to playing ball overseas, focusing on face-paced 3×3 matchups at a higher level, while still giving players a stage to shine on while staying stateside.

Latson is no stranger to the spotlight either. Before transferring to South Carolina from Florida State, she led the nation in scoring as a Seminole last season, averaging 25.5 points per game. She is also a projected first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Latson also won’t be the only Gamecocks with ties to Unrivaled. Former South Carolina greats Allisha Gray and Aliyah Boston played in the league’s inaugural season, and MiLaysia Fulwiley, now an LSU Tiger, was also named to this year’s NIL class.

The full Unrivaled NIL roster includes Lauren Betts (UCLA), Sienna Betts (UCLA), Madison Booker (Texas), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Azzi Fudd (UConn), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Olivia Miles (TCU), Kiki Rice (UCLA), Sarah Strong (UConn), Syla Swords (Michigan), and JuJu Watkins (USC).





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