College Sports

Federal judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for U.S. colleges to pay athletes millions

By EDDIE PELLS A federal judge in Oakland signed off on arguably the biggest change in the history of college sports Friday, clearing the way for schools to begin paying their athletes millions of dollars as soon as next month as the multibillion-dollar industry shreds the last vestiges of the amateur model that defined it […]

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2 months ago

June 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Federal judge approves $2.8B settlement, paving way for U.S. colleges to pay athletes millions

By EDDIE PELLS

A federal judge in Oakland signed off on arguably the biggest change in the history of college sports Friday, clearing the way for schools to begin paying their athletes millions of dollars as soon as next month as the multibillion-dollar industry shreds the last vestiges of the amateur model that defined it for more than a century.

Nearly five years after Arizona State swimmer Grant House sued the NCAA and its five biggest conferences to lift restrictions on revenue sharing, U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken approved the final proposal that had been hung up on roster limits, just one of many changes ahead amid concerns that thousands of walk-on athletes will lose their chance to play college sports.

The sweeping terms of the so-called House settlement include approval for each school to share up to $20.5 million with athletes over the next year and $2.7 billion that will be paid over the next decade to thousands of former players who were barred from that revenue for years.

The agreement brings a seismic shift to hundreds of schools that were forced to reckon with the reality that their players are the ones producing the billions in TV and other revenue, mostly through football and basketball, that keep this machine humming.

The scope of the changes — some have already begun — is difficult to overstate. The professionalization of college athletics will be seen in the high-stakes and expensive recruitment of stars on their way to the NFL and NBA, and they will be felt by athletes whose schools have decided to pare their programs. The agreement will resonate in nearly every one of the NCAA’s 1,100 member schools boasting nearly 500,000 athletes.

“Approving the agreement reached by the NCAA, the defendant conferences and student-athletes in the settlement opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said.

The road to a settlement

Wilken’s ruling comes 11 years after she dealt the first significant blow to the NCAA ideal of amateurism when she ruled in favor of former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon and others who were seeking a way to earn money from the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) — a term that is now as common in college sports as “March Madness” or “Roll Tide.” It was just four years ago that the NCAA cleared the way for NIL money to start flowing, but the changes coming are even bigger.

Wilken granted preliminary approval to the settlement last October. That sent colleges scurrying to determine not only how they were going to afford the payments, but how to regulate an industry that also allows players to cut deals with third parties so long as they are deemed compliant by a newly formed enforcement group that will be run by auditors at Deloitte.

The agreement takes a big chunk of oversight away from the NCAA and puts it in the hands of the four biggest conferences. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC hold most of the power and decision-making heft, especially when it comes to the College Football Playoff, which is the most significant financial driver in the industry and is not under the NCAA umbrella like the March Madness tournaments are.

Roster limits held things up

The deal looked ready to go since last fall, but Wilken put a halt to it after listening to a number of players who had lost their spots because of newly imposed roster limits being placed on teams.

The limits were part of a trade-off that allowed the schools to offer scholarships to everyone on the roster, instead of only a fraction, as has been the case for decades. Schools started cutting walk-ons in anticipation of the deal being approved.

Wilken asked for a solution and, after weeks, the parties decided to let anyone cut from a roster — now termed a “Designated Student-Athlete” — return to their old school or play for a new one without counting against the new limit.

Wilken ultimately agreed, going point-by-point through the objectors’ arguments to explain why they didn’t hold up.

“The modifications provide Designated Student-Athletes with what they had prior to the roster limits provisions being implemented, which was the opportunity to be on a roster at the discretion of a Division I school,” Wilken wrote.

Her decision, however, took nearly a month to write, leaving the schools and conferences in limbo — unsure if the plans they’d been making for months, really years, would go into play.

“It remains to be seen how this will impact the future of inter-collegiate athletics — but as we continue to evolve, Carolina remains committed to providing outstanding experiences and broad-based programming to student-athletes,” North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said.

Winners and losers

The list of winners and losers is long and, in some cases, hard to tease out.

A rough guide of winners would include football and basketball stars at the biggest schools, which will devote much of their bankroll to signing and retaining them. For instance, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood’s NIL deal is reportedly worth between $10.5 million and $12 million.

Losers, despite Wilken’s ruling, figure to be at least some of the walk-ons and partial scholarship athletes whose spots are gone.

Also in limbo are Olympic sports many of those athletes play and that serve as the main pipeline for a U.S. team that has won the most medals at every Olympics since the downfall of the Soviet Union.

All this is a price worth paying, according to the attorneys who crafted the settlement and argue they delivered exactly what they were asked for: an attempt to put more money in the pockets of the players whose sweat and toil keep people watching from the start of football season through March Madness and the College World Series in June.

What the settlement does not solve is the threat of further litigation.

Though this deal brings some uniformity to the rules, states still have separate laws regarding how NIL can be doled out, which could lead to legal challenges. NCAA President Charlie Baker has been consistent in pushing for federal legislation that would put college sports under one rulebook and, if he has his way, provide some form of antitrust protection to prevent the new model from being disrupted again.

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Originally Published: June 6, 2025 at 7:35 PM PDT

College Sports

Men’s Ice Hockey Releases 2025-26 Schedule

Story Links BABSON PARK, Mass.— As Babson College men’s ice hockey gets set to compete in a new conference this winter, the Boxer-Rice head men’s ice hockey coach Jamie Rice ’90 officially released his program’s 2025-26 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The Beavers, a member of the Little East Conference (LEC) for men’s ice hockey in […]

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2 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BABSON PARK, Mass.— As Babson College men’s ice hockey gets set to compete in a new conference this winter, the Boxer-Rice head men’s ice hockey coach Jamie Rice ’90 officially released his program’s 2025-26 schedule on Tuesday afternoon.

The Beavers, a member of the Little East Conference (LEC) for men’s ice hockey in 2025-26, will play 18 games in the new league along with seven non-conference affairs. The inaugural season for LEC men’s hockey will include core institutions Keene State (N.H.), Plymouth State (N.H.), Southern Maine, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Vermont State Castleton and Western Connecticut as well as affiliate members Babson, New England College and Norwich.

The Green and White drop the puck on the season with a home-and-home non-conference series against Fitchburg State, beginning in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, on October 31 followed by a rematch in Babson Park on November 1. The LEC slate starts with road games at Keene State on November 7 and Western Connecticut on November 8, followed by the first Little East home games vs. Norwich on November 14, Vermont State Castleton on November 15, and Southern Maine on November 22.

Babson will step out of league play for three home games during Thanksgiving week against opponents from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), hosting Tufts on November 25, Williams on November 29, and Amherst on November 30. Following a break for final exams and the holidays, the Green and White return to action on January 2-3 at the Oswego State Holiday Classic. The Beavers open the tournament against former NEHC foe Elmira and will face either the host Lakers, who finished last season ranked No. 12 in the Division III national poll, or Williams to conclude the event.

The Beavers resume conference play with home games against Plymouth State on January 9 and New England College on January 10, followed by road contests at UMass Dartmouth on January 16 and UMass Boston on January 17. The Green and White will return home to host Western Connecticut on January 23 and Keene State on January 24 at the Babson Skating Center.

After three straight road games at Southern Maine on January 31, Vermont State Castleton on February 6 and Norwich on February 7, the final regular season home games are set for UMass Boston on February 13 and UMass Dartmouth on February 14. The regular season slate winds up with road encounters at New England College on February 20 and Plymouth State on February 21.

The LEC Tournament begins with first-round games on February 25, with semifinals match-ups on February 28 and the championship game on March 7. The conference champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.

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College Sports

Isabella Demarco Named to United Soccer Coaches "Forwards to Watch" List

Story Links Cullowhee, N.C. — Anticipation continues to build for the 2025 women’s soccer season as Western Carolina’s Isabella DeMarco was named a “Forward to Watch” by United Soccer Coaches earlier today. DeMarco is the first Southern Conference athlete to be named to the prestigious watch list since its inception in 2022 and is the only […]

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3 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Isabella Demarco Named to United Soccer Coaches "Forwards to Watch" List

Cullowhee, N.C. — Anticipation continues to build for the 2025 women’s soccer season as Western Carolina’s Isabella DeMarco was named a “Forward to Watch” by United Soccer Coaches earlier today. DeMarco is the first Southern Conference athlete to be named to the prestigious watch list since its inception in 2022 and is the only current SoCon representative on the list this season.

The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and All-Region players from 2024 who are scheduled to return for the 2025 season.

DeMarco’s honor comes after a tremendous, first-team All-SoCon season in 2024, where she posted eight goals and nine assists, racking up 25 of WCU’s 152 points. She ranked within the top 50 nationally in shots on goal per game (21st – 2.00), total assists (26th – 9), shot accuracy (41st- .575), and shots per game (50th – 3.48). She ranked inside the top 100 in total points (63rd – 25), points per game (87th – 1.19), and game-winning goals (94th – 3).

The only South Carolina native on either the men’s or women’s watch list, DeMarco is primed for an explosive senior season in Cullowhee. Already one of the best to don the Purple and Gold on the pitch, the standout striker is nearing a handful of school records going into the 2025 campaign, as she is just 32 points, 16 goals, five assists, 42 shots, and 12 shots on goal away from the program record in each of those respective categories.

Isabella DeMarco and the Catamounts will be back in action for the first official match of the 2025 season as they host arch-rivals Appalachian State on August 14, for a 6:00 p.m. start.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount women’s soccer and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @Catamountsoccer).

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College Sports

Local 16-year-old commits to play hockey for Boston College

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — The future on the frozen pond is moving south. Consider this, the equivalent of a football player going to Alabama or a basketball player to Kansas. It’s not something that happens every day. That makes the move for Mt. Pleasant’s Sophia Garner even more spectacular. It’s a decision as big […]

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3 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It’s a decision as big as any she’ll make. As a 16 year old, who has only known a world with social media, it was a dream post to create. But what makes the post stand out, aside from the school listed- “Boston College”, the hometown of the player right below it – “Charleston, SC”.

“It’s so cool. Never see someone with Charleston. Asked me what I wanted to put on it, I definitely put Charleston because it’s awesome being here. Love how it is growing every day,” said Garner.

Home is where the hockey is. She hails from Maryland, she goes to boarding school in Rochester, New York, but when her family moved to Mt. Pleasant three years ago it became the perfect pairing.

“I found incredible coaches. Working with Hunter [Bishop] so much during summer, really improved. So good seeing all these kids on the ice,” she said.

READ MORE | “Hockey fans help raise $3,000 for One80 Place through Stingrays jersey auction proceeds”

She practices among professionals. There are plenty of them in town. Her growth in the game is pretty astounding. But heck, she always stood out burying goals since she was a little kid skating with her two older brothers.

Going into her junior year of high school, seven-time “Frozen Four” squad Boston College came calling.

“I have 2 older brothers who got me into it, for sure. Once I was knocking them around, I wanted to take it to the next level,” she said. “Going to boarding school was a really good move for me. Going to Boston College, knowing I can do that is pretty cool. Great to get it off my chest. Before I go back to school. Getting it off my chest. Know that everything worked out. All my hard work paid off. I can relax, get back to work and focus on getting to the next level.”

Think about it, pretty amazing. A blue blood of college hockey picking up a prized recruit from Charleston, SC. Not something that will ever be common. Or will it?

“It’s important to have the good coaches. Surrounding yourself with kids and people who are better than me,” said Garner. “Beautiful campus. Amazing coaches. Everything, being there, when I stepped on campus I knew it was it. I am so excited. Been a dream. Born, always wanted to go there. Being able to actually do it, I’m so excited.”

The Eagle will always return to nest, as the queen of the Ice Palace.

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College Sports

Official Site of The ECHL

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings and American Hockey League’s Ontario Reign, announced that defenseman Josh Atkinson has signed with the team for the 2025-26 season. Atkinson joins the Swamp Rabbits after finishing his fourth season in Europe and third with Hungary’s Fehérvár AV19 […]

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4 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Atkinson joins the Swamp Rabbits after finishing his fourth season in Europe and third with Hungary’s Fehérvár AV19 in the ICEHL. In 44 games last season, he recorded 22 points (6g-16a) in 44 games while adding an assist in seven playoff games.

A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Atkinson earned 80 points (25g-55a) in 136 games with Fehérvár AV19 and another seven points (1g-6a) in 13 DEL games with the Bietigheim Steelers over his last four European campaigns. He last played in North America in the 2020-21 season, and brings 236 games between the AHL with the Iowa Wild and Chicago Wolves and ECHL with the Atlanta Gladiators and Allen Americans over five seasons.

Prior to turning pro, Atkinson skated four seasons of college hockey with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, earning 2016 WCHA All-Academic Team honors while racking up 48 points (8g-40a) in 144 contests. He also played two seasons with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Lloydminster Bobcats.

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College Sports

Nanooks Women’s Hoops Adds Marney Rees out of Central Maine Community College

Story Links FAIRBANKS – The Alaska Nanooks women’s basketball program has announced another signing in 6-0 forward Marney Rees. Rees joins the ‘Nooks after spending two seasons with the Central Maine Mustangs. “We’re excited to welcome Marney to the Nanook family,” said head coach Michael Ricks. “She brings a combination of […]

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FAIRBANKS – The Alaska Nanooks women’s basketball program has announced another signing in 6-0 forward Marney Rees. Rees joins the ‘Nooks after spending two seasons with the Central Maine Mustangs.

“We’re excited to welcome Marney to the Nanook family,” said head coach Michael Ricks. “She brings a combination of size, skill, and toughness that will elevate our frontcourt. Her championship background shows she knows what it takes to win, and we’re looking forward to her bringing that mindset to Alaska.”

Rees hails from Glenelg North, Australia, and attended Adelaide High School in Adelaide, Australia. In her first season at Central Maine, she appeared in 26 games, averaging four points per game on 47.2% shooting while knocking down 61.3% of her free throw attempts. She grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game and tallied 11 assists, nine steals and six blocks. In her sophomore campaign, she also averaged four points per contest, increasing her field goal percentage to 53.1%. She collected 4.5 rebounds per game and added 15 steals, three blocks and 37 assists. In 2024-25, Rees notched double-digit points on four occasions, including a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double vs. Washington County CC on Nov. 9.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to represent the University of Alaska Fairbanks and am excited to extend my basketball and academic journey in a unique part of the world!” said Rees on joining the Nanooks.

The ‘Nooks will continue to announce signings throughout the coming weeks.

Follow the ‘Nooks
IG – @NanooksWBB
X – @NanooksWBB
FB – Alaska Nanooks Women’s Basketball

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College Sports

Cashman Announces Incoming Class Ahead Of 2025-26 Season

HANOVER, N.H.– Koenig Family Head Coach of Dartmouth Men’s Hockey, Reid Cashman announced the incoming class of student-athletes ahead of the 2025-26 season. The Big Green welcome eight first years from both the United States and Canada. The class consists of six forwards and two defensemen. Cashman is excited to welcome the first years and […]

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HANOVER, N.H.– Koenig Family Head Coach of Dartmouth Men’s Hockey, Reid Cashman announced the incoming class of student-athletes ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The Big Green welcome eight first years from both the United States and Canada. The class consists of six forwards and two defensemen.

Cashman is excited to welcome the first years and believes they will make an impact on and off the ice. “I am happy to welcome eight new members to Dartmouth College and our program. This group comes to us from across North America. They are young men of great character who will be valuable members of both our team and the Dartmouth community.”

Andrew Clarke | Forward | Creve Coeur, Mo. | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

Clarke joins the Big Green after playing the last two seasons with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL. During his first season in Des Moines, he scored six times and added nine assists in 55 games. His second season in the USHL in 2024-25 he posted 20 goals and added 25 assists in 60 games to close out his junior career. Prior to joining Des Moines, he played a season in the NAHL with the St. Cloud Norsemen where he scored 16 goals with 30 assists in 48 games.

Cooper Cleaves | Defense | Riverside, Conn. | Green Bay Gambles (USHL)

Cleaves comes to Dartmouth after splitting 2024-25 between the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL and Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Cleaves is no stranger to the Dartmouth hockey program as he joins his brother Hank in 2025-26. Cleaves scored twice and added 13 assists in 25 games with Vernon to open the 24-25 season before joining Green Bay for 38 games. In 38 games, Cleaves scored twice and added nine assists from the blueline.

Brock Cummings | Forward | Mississauga, Ont. | Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL)

Cummings played a pair of seasons in the BCHL prior to joining the Big Green. He started his junior career with the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the BCHL in 2023-24 before playing for the Prince George Spruce Kings in 2024-25. With Cowichan Valley he scored 16 times in 54 games while notching 18 assists. Last season he served as assistant captain in Prince George while scoring 20 goals and adding 25 assists in 50 games. In the playoffs, he skated in seven games while scoring five goals and adding an assist.

Brock Devlin | Defense | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Anchorage Wolverines (NAHL)

Devlin spend the last two years in the NAHL playing for the Anchorage Wolverines. In his first season with Anchorage, the defensemen skated in 42 games while scoring four goals and adding 14 assists. Last season he skated in 54 games for the Wolverines while exploding for 55 assists along with 12 goals. Prior to Anchorage he spent multiple seasons playing in the Anaheim Jr. Ducks organization.

Tyler Grahme | Forward | Bloomington, Minn. | West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)

Grahme spent the last three seasons in the BCHL, USHL, and NAHL before joining Dartmouth ahead of the 2025-26 season. In 2024-25, the forward played four games with the Fargo Force of the USHL before joining the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL. In West Kelowna, he scored 13 goals while also having 13 assists in 36 games. Between the BCHL, USHL, and NAHL he skated in 136 career games with 46 goals and 67 assists.

Nathan Morin | Forward | Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC | Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)

Morin becomes the member of the Big Green to be from Quebec since Charles Corsi played for Dartmouth in 2009-10. Morin skated in 53 games last season with the Chilliwack Chiefs in the BCHL, he scored 17 goals and added 30 assists in his final season in the BCHL. In four seasons in the BCHL he skated in 66 games with the Salmon Arm Silverback and 145 games with Chilliwack. In 211 BCHL games he scored 49 goals and added 69 assists.

Ryan Schelling | Forward | Suffern, N.Y. | Langley Rivermen (BCHL)

Schelling brings one season in the NAHL and two seasons in the BCHL to The Woods. The Suffern, N.Y. native skated in 54 games last season as an assistant captain of the Langley Rivermen. In the 54 games he led the Riverman with 29 goals and 46 assists, his 75 points was third in the BCHL. In 2023-24, he split the BCHL season between the Surrey Eagles and in Langley, he had 13 goals and 24 assists in 50 games. After leading Suffern High School to a New York State Championship, Schelling started his Junior ‘A’ career with the Northeast Generals of the NAHL where he scored 11 times and added 31 assists in 59 games in 2022-23.

Jason Stefanek | Forward | Yorba Linda, Calif. | Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)

Stefanek closes out the Dartmouth Class of 2029 and joins the Big Green after three seasons in the BCHL. After starting his BCHL career with the Wenatchee Wild he played the last two seasons with the Trail Smoke Eaters. In his final season in the BCHL in 2024-25 he skated in 53 games while scoring 32 goals and adding 31 assists as an assistant captain. His 63 points was 10^th in the BCHL while his 32 goals were tied for fourth in the league. Throughout his three seasons in the BCHL he played in 159 games while scoring 59 goals and tallying 66 assists.

“We graduated a deep class last year so this group will have a great opportunity to make an immediate impact on our team. They are ultra-competitive young men who have a passion for the game of hockey. We expect them to and continue to push our program forward.”

The Big Green welcome back 19 players from a historic 2024-25 season including top point getters CJ Foley and Nikita Nikora along with all three netminders. The returners combined for 45 goals and 114 assists last season.

Dartmouth announced its 2025-26 schedule in July with the Big Green opening the regular season on Nov. 1 against Stonehill. Dartmouth plays host to Yale the following day for a non-conference game to open the 50^th year of Thompson Arena. Season ticket deposits are now on sale and can be purchased by clicking here.

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