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Athletes express concern over NCAA settlement’s impact on non-revenue sports

Associated Press Sydney Moore and Sabrina Ootsburg were surrounded by hundreds of college athletes at AthleteCon when news broke that the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement had been approved by a federal judge. In a room full of college athletes, they felt like the only two people who understood the gravity of the situation. “I’m about […]

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Associated Press

Sydney Moore and Sabrina Ootsburg were surrounded by hundreds of college athletes at AthleteCon when news broke that the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement had been approved by a federal judge. In a room full of college athletes, they felt like the only two people who understood the gravity of the situation.

“I’m about to get paid,” Moore said a Division I football player told her.

“Yes, you are about to get paid, and a lot of your women athlete friends are about to get cut,” she responded.

Moore acknowledged that her response might be a stretch, but the sprawling House settlement clears the way for college athletes to get a share of revenue directly from their schools and provides a lucky few a shot at long-term financial stability, it raises genuine concerns for others.

Schools that opt int will be able to share up to $20.5 million with their athletes over the next year starting July 1. The majority is expected to be spent on high-revenue generating sports, with most projections estimating 75% of funds will go toward football.

So what happens to the non-revenue-generating sports which, outside of football and basketball, is pretty much all of them?

It’s a query that’s top of mind for Ootsburg as she enters her senior year at Belmont, where she competes on track and field team.

“My initial thought was, is this good or bad? What does this mean for me? How does this affect me? But more importantly, in the bigger picture, how does it affect athletes as a whole?” Ootsburg said.

“You look at the numbers where it says most of the revenue, up to 75% to 85%, will go toward football players. You understand it’s coming from the TV deals, but then it’s like, how does that affect you on the back end?” Ootsburg asked. “Let’s say 800k goes toward other athletes. Will they be able to afford other things like care, facilities, resources or even just snacks?”

Moore has similar concerns. She says most female athletes aren’t worried about how much – if any – money they’ll receive. They fear how changes could impact the student-athlete experience.

“A lot of us would much rather know that our resources and our experience as a student-athlete is going to stay the same, or possibly get better, rather than be given 3,000 dollars, but now I have to cover my meals, I have to pay for my insurance, I have to buy ankle braces because we don’t have any, and the athletic training room isn’t stocked,” Moore said over the weekend as news of Friday night’s settlement approval spread.

One of the biggest problems, Ootsburg and Moore said, is that athletes aren’t familiar with the changes. At AthleteCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, they said, perhaps the biggest change in college sports history was a push notification generally shrugged off by those directly impacted.

“Athletes do not know what’s happening,” Ootsburg said. “Talking to my teammates, it’s so new, and they see the headlines and they’re like, ‘Ok, cool, but is someone going to explain this?’ because they can read it, but then there’s so many underlying factors that go into this. This is a complex problem that you have to understand the nuances behind, and not every athlete truly does.”

Some coaches, too, are still trying to understand what’s coming.

Mike White, coach of the national champion Texas softball team, called it “the great unknown right now.”

“My athletic director, Chris Del Conte, said it’s like sailing out on a flat world and coming off the edge; we just don’t know what’s going to be out there yet, especially the way the landscape is changing,” he said at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. “Who knows what it’s going to be?”

What about the walk-ons?

Jake Rimmel got a crash course on the settlement in the fall of 2024, when he said he was cut from the Virginia Tech cross-country team alongside several other walk-ons. The topic held up the House case for weeks as the judge basically forced schools to give athletes cut in anticipation of approval a chance to play — they have to earn the spot, no guarantees — without counting against roster limits.

Rimmel packed up and moved back to his parents’ house in Purcellville, Virginia. For the past six months, he’s held on to a glimmer of hope that maybe he could return.

“The past six months have been very tough,” he said. “I’ve felt so alone through this, even though I wasn’t. I just felt like the whole world was out there – I would see teammates of mine and other people I knew just doing all of these things and still being part of a team. I felt like I was sidelined and on pause, while they’re continuing to do all these things.”

News that the settlement had been approved sent Rimmel looking for details.

“I didn’t see much about roster limits,” he said. “Everyone wants to talk about NIL and the revenue-sharing and I mean, that’s definitely a big piece of it, but I just didn’t see anything about the roster limits, and that’s obviously my biggest concern.”

The answer only presents more questions for Rimmel.

“We were hoping for more of a forced decision with the grandfathering, which now it’s only voluntary, so I’m a little skeptical of things because I have zero clue how schools are going to react to that,” Rimmel told The Associated Press.

Rimmel is still deciding what’s best for him, but echoed Moore and Ootsburg in saying that answers are not obvious: “I’m just hoping the schools can make the right decisions with things and have the best interest of the people who were cut.”

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AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt contributed.

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




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USC’s JuJu Watkins headlines 13 new Unrivaled NIL signings

INDIANAPOLIS — Unrivaled announced 13 new NIL deal signings, headlined by USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Azzi Fudd. Sarah Strong (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA) […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — Unrivaled announced 13 new NIL deal signings, headlined by USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Azzi Fudd.

Sarah Strong (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Madison Booker (Texas), Kiki Rice (UCLA), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Syla Swords (Michigan), and Sienna Betts (UCLA) are also signing NIL deals with the three-on-three league.

LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson is also continuing her partnership with Unrivaled with a new NIL deal, after inking a first one back in December. Unlike her last partnership, this one will not include equity in the league.

“Unrivaled was lit,” Johnson said. “When I watched the first game I was like, this is real. It was super professional and catered to the athletes.

“It’s going to get more and more active more and more competitive. I don’t know what’s happening in the back, but I think there’s just going to be more incentive to turn up.”

This group combines for 32 NCAA tournament appearances, 25 Sweet 16 appearances, 14 Elite Eight appearances, 10 Final Four appearances, and 4 national championships.

Last season, Watkins was named the Naismith Player of the Year and Big 10 Player of the Year, and Betts was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Strong was the Big East Freshman of the Year, while Booker was the SEC Player of the Year and Hidalgo won ACC Player of the Year.

These signings build off of NIL partnerships with 2025 WNBA No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers and Johnson. Watkins was also already involved with Unrivaled through her investment in the league as part of its Series A funding last December.

“Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” Unrivaled president of basketball operations Luke Cooper said. “This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes.”



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Unrivaled league signs 14 top college players to NIL deals

INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, […]

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INDIANAPOLIS — JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are among 14 top women’s college basketball players signing NIL deals with Unrivaled, the league announced Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year the 3-on-3 league that Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded has had name, image and likeness deals with college players. In it’s inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.

Watkins, who plays for USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.

Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.

“Unrivaled is doing something amazing for women sports. It’s a big reason why we’re all here today,” Johnson said at Unrivaled’s pop-up headquarters in Indianapolis. “They’re doing it in the W and really giving us a chance in college to really go at it.”

Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.

“Just seeing from the first year what (the league) was able to build, you know it’s only going to get better,” Fudd said. “I’m super excited.”

Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.

As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multiday event at the league’s headquarters near Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.

“Our job is to try to bridge the gap between the current stars that are in Unrivaled and the future stars sitting on the stage right now,” Luke Cooper, Unrivaled’s president of basketball operations, said at the announcement. “Everyone that we asked to be a part of this said yes.”

Unrivaled completed its inaugural season in March and is gearing up for its second in January.

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Unrivaled announces 14 of the top NCAAW players have signed new NIL deals

Fourteen of the top women’s NCAA basketball players have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league announced Saturday, July 19, ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. The list of players includes Lauren and Sienna Betts, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’Jae […]

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Fourteen of the top women’s NCAA basketball players have signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, the professional 3×3 league announced Saturday, July 19, ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. The list of players includes Lauren and Sienna Betts, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Audi Crooks, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, as well as MiLaysia Fulwiley, Flau’Jae Johnson, Ta’niya Latson, Kiki Rice, Syla Swords, and JuJu Watkins.

The move is a major one for Unrivaled, which will enter its second season in January 2026. The new players will also participate in a multi-day summit called The Future is Unrivaled between July 31 and August 2.

The relationship between the two leagues has been a hot topic for months, and conversation has reached a bit of a fever pitch during the league’s All-Star events. While speaking to reporters Thursday, Unrivaled’s president Alex Bazzell said that a lot of the speculation has come as a surprise.

“It’s funny we’ve laughed about it because we’ve never once looked at this as a competitive tool towards the WNBA,” he said. Bazzell also emphasized that there are “so many positives” from both leagues existing, and added, “I’m hopeful that they come to a CBA agreement, and play resumes next April, and for us, we’re not going to change anything we do based on what happens in those conversations, so the conflict of interest has never really made sense internally.”

WNBA GMs aren’t as sure about Unrivaled

Despite those positive feelings, not everyone seems to agree. In May, one WNBA GM speaking anonymously to CNN put blame for an increase in preseason injuries squarely on the new league. “They were surprised by the intensity, duration and amount of practices,” one person told ESPN — and writer Kendra Andrews noted that “multiple” GMs admitted too many injuries “could hurt our league” if it means players aren’t available during the WNBA season.

There have also been questions about whether the existence of Unrivaled presents a conflict of interest. The league was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, of the Lynx and Liberty respectively.

“I just see ourselves as such an additive to the space that it’s always confused us why people would think that it’s a conflict of interest,” Bazzell also said Thursday night. In reference to Collier (who is also his wife), and Stewart, Bazzell added, “If anything, there’s no one who’s more equipped to sit at that table than Napheesa or than Breanna because they’ve been through all the negotiations of media rights and sponsorships.”

That this topic hasn’t been raised before is likely due to the fact that Collier and Stewart are well known for their long-time advocacy for women’s basketball, equity in the WNBA, and the pursuit of greatness for as many women as possible. The idea that either could operate in bad faith is difficult to even begin to debate, let alone give any degree of seriousness.



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ASU QB Sam Leavitt donating merchandise sales to teammates

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will be donating 100% of revenue from his merchandise sales to his teammates for the 2025 season. Leavitt has a new line of merchandise through the NIL store. Items include shirts, hoodies and jerseys and can be purchased online. Giving back to his teammates is nothing new for the sophomore […]

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Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will be donating 100% of revenue from his merchandise sales to his teammates for the 2025 season.

Leavitt has a new line of merchandise through the NIL store. Items include shirts, hoodies and jerseys and can be purchased online.

Giving back to his teammates is nothing new for the sophomore quarterback. In January, Leavitt was able to secure Arby’s NIL deals for eight ASU offensive linemen.

Last season, Leavitt donated all of his royalties from merchandise sales back to the ASU NIL collective. He was named a preseason All-American and Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year ahead of the 2025 season.

Leavitt is coming off a 2024 season where he threw for 2,885 yards for 24 touchdowns while adding 443 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. Leavitt was a key player in ASU’s 11-3 campaign that saw the Sun Devils win the Big 12 Championship and reach the Peach Bowl as part of the 2024 College Football Playoff.

For his efforts, Leavitt was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a member of the 2024 All-Big 12 Football Second Team.






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Unrivaled signs 14 star women’s basketball players to NIL deals

During WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Unrivaled – the 3v3 women’s basketball league – announced a major NIL activation. The up-and-coming women’s basketball league signed 14 star college athletes to NIL deals. UConn star Azzi Fudd headlines the group, which also includes LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and USC’s JuJu Watkins – both of whom previously signed […]

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During WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Unrivaled – the 3v3 women’s basketball league – announced a major NIL activation. The up-and-coming women’s basketball league signed 14 star college athletes to NIL deals.

UConn star Azzi Fudd headlines the group, which also includes LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and USC’s JuJu Watkins – both of whom previously signed NIL deals with Unrivaled, along with former UConn sensation Paige Bueckers. Bueckers and Johnson secured equity stakes in the league as part of their deals while Watkins was part of the $28 million investment round.

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, UCLA forward Lauren Betts, TCU guard Olivia Miles and LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley are also on board. Betts’ sister Sienna, Texas forward Madison Booker, Iowa State center Audi Crooks, South Carolina guard Ta’Niya Latson, UCLA guard Kiki Rice, UConn forward Sarah Srong and Michigan guard Syla Swords round out the group.

“Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission,” said Unrivaled President of Basketball Operations Luke Cooper in a statement. “This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes.”

Unrivaled had its debut season last year after WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier co-founded the league. It includes six teams that compete in a 3-on-3 format, and the league is planning to add two expansion teams in 2027, as well.

Unrivaled continues star-studded NIL initiatives

Through its latest NIL activation, Unrivaled continues to invest in the rising stars in women’s basketball. Flau’jae Johnson and JuJu Watkins are widely considered two of the top names in college women’s hoops, and Azzi Fudd is a rising star after playing a crucial role in UConn’s national championship this past season.

Johnson boasts the highest On3 NIL Valuation in college women’s basketball at $1.5 million, which puts her atop the women’s college basketball NIL rankings. Watkins sits right behind her at No. 2 with a $739,000 On3 NIL Valuation and Fudd ranks No. 6 at $218,000.

Unrivaled also forged a partnership with Paige Bueckers last year before the Dallas Wings selected her No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft. She’s preparing for her first All-Star Game amid an impressive rookie season and signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled in April.

All 14 players who signed NIL deals with Unrivaled will participate in a summit July 31-Aug. 2. Called The Future is Unrivaled, it will include basketball development sessions and the players will also participate in content for the league.





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Terrelle Pryor’s NIL lawsuit Dismissed: Judge rules against former Ohio State star

Terrelle Pryor’s bid to rewrite college football’s past just hit a legal wall. The former Ohio State quarterback’s lawsuit seeking back pay for name, image, and likeness (NIL) earnings has been dismissed by a federal judge, who ruled Friday that the case falls outside the statute of limitations. Filed in October 2023, Pryor’s complaint argued […]

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Terrelle Pryor’s bid to rewrite college football’s past just hit a legal wall.

The former Ohio State quarterback’s lawsuit seeking back pay for name, image, and likeness (NIL) earnings has been dismissed by a federal judge, who ruled Friday that the case falls outside the statute of limitations. Filed in October 2023, Pryor’s complaint argued he should’ve been compensated during his time at Ohio State from 2008 to 2010 long before NIL rights were legalized for student-athletes.

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But the court didn’t agree.

“Mr. Pryor failed to assert his claims for injunctive relief within the four-year statutory period,” the judge wrote, adding that allowing the case to move forward would be “unreasonable and prejudicial to defendants.”

That ruling effectively ends Pryor’s chances of reclaiming compensation from the NCAA, Ohio State, or the Big Ten and deals another blow to former college stars hoping to capitalize and get back pay for the new NIL deals that current college players have.

Pryor isn’t the only ex-college athlete testing the system. Over the past year, several lawsuits have surfaced, all challenging the NCAA and schools for profiting off their likenesses before NIL rules changed in 2021.

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Reggie Bush sued USC, the Pac-12, and the NCAA in September 2024.

  • Former Michigan players filed a similar suit against the NCAA and Big Ten Network.

  • Mario Chalmers and 15 other former athletes had their class-action lawsuit dismissed in August 2024.

  • NC State’s legendary 1983 team kicked off the legal wave with their June 2024 case.

What do all of these lawsuits have in common? So far, they’ve all been dismissed.

The reason: these plaintiffs don’t qualify for the NCAA v. House settlement, which covers athletes who competed between 2016 and 2024 — and includes $2.8 billion in back payments. Pryor, Bush, Chalmers, and others played well before that window, which means their legal strategy rests on trying to overturn expired antitrust claims. Judges haven’t been convinced or reversed any rulings.

Pryor’s case was more than just a legal play — it was also symbolic. Once one of the most electrifying athletes in college football, he led Ohio State to two Big Ten titles and was at the center of a scandal that, under today’s NIL rules, wouldn’t even be a violation.

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In 2011, Pryor and several teammates were punished for receiving tattoos and other perks in exchange for memorabilia as it was a case that sparked national headlines and controversy and led to vacated wins. Pryor left school early and spent seven seasons in the NFL, transitioning from quarterback to wide receiver.

In 2021, with the NIL era officially underway, Pryor and his former teammates asked the NCAA to restore their records, hoping the governing body would acknowledge how much the system had changed for the better.  Now, his effort to secure compensation through the courts has fallen short.

This ruling in Pryor’s case is significant. Like the Chalmers dismissal, it reinforces the NCAA’s legal firewall, its sovereign immunity and the four-year statute of limitations.

For athletes who played before 2016, the courtroom door appears nearly and almost completely  shut. Even as modern players begin receiving compensation and back pay through the House settlement, those who came before are left with little legal ground to stand on.

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Even still, the wave of lawsuits shows no signs of slowing down.  As former athletes are still watching closely, and as long as NIL continues to reshape the college sports economy, the fight for retroactive justice isn’t just going to go away even if their wins are very far and few.



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