Exclusive: How Former Athletes Benefit From House v. NCAA Settlement

Exclusive: How Former Athletes Benefit From House v. NCAA Settlement originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Over the weekend of June 6th, a pivotal decision was made that will profoundly impact the entire realm of college athletics. Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House settlement between the NCAA and its conferences, enabling member institutions to compensate their athletes directly for the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses.

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The annual allotment per school will officially be determined at a later date, but estimates have the allotment payout sitting at roughly $200 million dollars per school, with expected increases each year. This crucial decision will change the very landscape of college athletics when it goes into effect on July 1st, with current and future athletes reaping most of the benefits. Full disclosure: I’m one of the many expected to receive a payout on a retroactive basis from my time at Georgia Tech, Arkansas, and Colorado.

Numerous inquiries have emerged in response to this highly anticipated resolution. But one question particularly resonating with former athletes: Is there a means for me to derive any benefit? The answer to this question is unequivocally, yes!

Within the settlement agreement, the NCAA will compensate approximately $2.8 billion in retroactive damages to athletes who participated in college athletics from the academic year 2016 onward. Emails containing login information to claim their share were sent to all former eligible athletes on file.

For those former athletes that qualify, you would have had to file your claim on collegeathletecompensation.com before or on January 31st, 2025. However, the claim tab on the website is still open to filing

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This website also has a plethora of information on important dates, court documents, FAQs, and much more relating to the case. It also enables athletes to view an estimate of their potential compensation from the settlement.

The payout breakdown encompasses various factors, primarily benefiting former football and basketball players from Power Five programs. Additional factors contributing to the breakdown include, but are not exhaustive, “broadcast NIL payment,” “video game NIL payment,” “Compensation for Athletic Services payment,” “Lost NIL payment,” and “Hubbard payment.”

As a former student-athlete and transfer student between three Division I universities in three different Power Five conferences, I observed three distinct compensation estimates for each institution.

Upon comparing these estimates, I identified a significant disparity in compensation based on the university, despite all institutions being members of the Power Five conference. The highest payout is anticipated to be awarded to former SEC student-athletes by a substantial margin, although each payout remains a substantial sum for the former student-athletes of any institution.

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Based on the provided information, it appears that the SEC leads in terms of settlement distributions. However, all former athletes are compensated equitably for their contributions and impacts during their tenure at their respective institutions.

Related: Michigan Running Back’s Groundbreaking NIL Deal Redefines College Football

Three years at Georgia Tech was nearly the equivalent to one at Arkansas. Also, the year at Colorado shows a clear demand from Deion Sanders and the ‘Prime Effect’. It’s less than my 2022 season in Fayetteville, but given the shape of Pac-12 and how we carried the conference in ratings, it’s comparable.

Related: How the NCAA House Ruling Could Reshape UNC Basketball

As the new era of college athletics commences, it is prudent to acknowledge the uncertainties that lie ahead. Legal proceedings continue to unfold to ensure that all student-athletes, both past, present, and future, receive the most optimal opportunities and experiences.

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As new information becomes available and inquiries arise, we will diligently provide timely updates on the latest developments pertaining to this settlement and name, image, and likeness.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.