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GW opts into landmark NCAA settlement, greenlighting direct payment to student

Published

5 months ago

July 2, 2025

GW opts into landmark NCAA settlement, greenlighting direct payment to student

As the NCAA permits GW to begin directly paying its athletes for the first time Tuesday, student-athletes said the landmark settlement could unlock new revenue streams, expanding how they benefit from their athletic contributions.

The settlement, approved earlier this month by District Court Judge Claudia Wilken after a 5 year-long legal battle between athletes and the NCAA, establishes a new revenue sharing model allowing Division I schools to allocate up to $20.5 million annually to student-athletes across all sports in addition to money allocated to scholarships. Three GW student-athletes said the ruling appropriately rewards players for the past harm of not being able to profit off their name, image and likeness until 2021, because they believe athletes deserve to be compensated for their work.

Women’s basketball forward and rising senior Caia Loving, who has profited off NIL, welcomed the opportunities that the settlement could bring. During her three years playing at GW, Loving has exercised her ability to profit off NIL through the GDUB Exchange, which since 2021 has allowed student-athletes to advertise themselves to brands, collectives and donors.

Loving’s page currently lists a social media post for $45, and camps and lessons for $100. While 233 GW student-athletes have GDUB Exchange profiles, Loving is one of the only players with preset opportunities for collaboration.

“I feel it’s something that is love overdue and I look forward to NCAA student-athletes being rewarded in the future for their hard work and dedication in athletics,” Loving said in an email.

The NCAA’s prior model, introduced by the organization in 2021, allowed athletes to profit off NIL, but restricted schools from directly paying players beyond scholarship awards. Although schools will be allowed to directly play players under the new settlement, the NCAA will more strictly enforce regulations on payments from third parties.

The Atlantic-10 opted into the settlement as a league, a GW Athletics spokesperson said on Tuesday, but GW has yet to issue a formal announcement on the matter. Director of Athletics Michael Liptiz did not return a request for comment.

Basketball Head Coach Chris Caputo said Athletics has been preparing for the ramifications of the final approval since at least October, around the time Wilken granted preliminary approval. He said the settlement could help schools without football programs, like GW, because schools with large football programs are likely to spend a majority of their $20.5 million pot of funds on football players, potentially leaving less money for other sports like men’s and women’s basketball.

That means there may be less competition for top athletic schools when it comes to recruiting elite basketball talent, as those programs may have fewer dollars to spend on recruiting the best players.

“There is a theory that the schools that do not have football could choose to make a bigger investment in the basketball programs, so I think that could potentially be a positive,” Caputo said.

Caputo also said GW could benefit from their prior fundraising successes under the new model to add to their recruiting pitch to potential players. He said the program last year raised ten times the amount of money than what they raised during the 2021-22 season.

“I think there’s an opportunity to attract more players,” Caputo said.

By opting into the revenue sharing portion of the agreement, schools will be subject to new roster caps — the maximum amount of student-athletes on a specific team — replacing the scholarship caps formerly in place, which only limited the amount of money a team could grant in athletic scholarships and had no limit on how many athletes the money could be split amongst. One athlete, who requested to remain anonymous to share their personal views about the settlement, expressed concern about how roster caps may create a competitive environment within a team.

“It begins to create an environment where people begin to compete for spots when college sports are about uniting and working towards a common goal of winning as a team rather than working to be ahead of your teammates,” they said in an email.

Despite raising concerns about the roster caps, the athlete said they were supportive of portions of the settlement that require direct payments to student-athletes because it allows them to get paid for the time they put into their sport.

“It’s exciting that the NCAA has expanded so that schools will be able to directly pay their athletes in addition to scholarships and room and board and NIL earnings,” they said.

Women’s gymnast Delaney DeHaan said the ruling would help top programs become even more dominant, due to a new ability to attract top talent with money. Still, she said she doesn’t anticipate taking advantage of NIL deals because becoming an “influencer” doesn’t interest her.

“We’re not one of those power five, big schools, so I don’t see this really being a huge impact on my life and my next two years here,” she said.

DeHaan said she is hopeful for the potential replacement of the equivalent of 12 full scholarships for gymnastics with a roster cap of 20.

“I love that there is now an opportunity to pay more girls for the time that they’re giving and the talent that they have, and hopefully I would love to see our team have 20 full-ride scholarships,” DeHaan said. “I think that would be the coolest thing.”

The settlement also establishes new reporting requirements for donors to receive approval before making payments above $600 to players. The boosters would have to prove to a new watchdog operated by Deloitte that the deal is for a “legitimate business purpose,” and the player is paid a “fair market value” for use of their name, image and/or likeness.

The Revs named the FOG collective its official NIL collective to help facilitate funds to student-athletes in the wake of Wilken’s preliminary approval last October. As an “associated entity,” the collective and its donors would be subject to the NCAA’s clearinghouse requirements — academic and amateurism standards — that student-athletes must meet to compete in DI or II sports for any NIL deals exceeding the financial threshold.

The clearinghouse requirements and new revenue sharing model take effect immediately, even as some individuals have filed pending appeals to the settlement arguing that the agreement fails to require athletic departments to distribute revenue-sharing funds equally across men’s and women’s sports.

Wilken approved the settlement despite Title IX concerns, noting that it does not explicitly direct schools to allocate more funding to men’s programs over women’s.

In addition to the new revenue sharing model, all GW students who were athletes between 2016 to 2024 will be eligible to receive back damages payments from the NCAA, due to a lack of ability to profit off their name, image and likeness during those years.

Although the settlement requires the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in damages to student-athletes over 10 years, most of that money will go to athletes at power 5 schools like the University of Virginia, University of Maryland and Clemson University.

Fritz Metzinger, a sports attorney at Louisiana-based law firm Stone Pigman, said only about $30 million will be directed towards athletes from non-power 5 division I schools like GW. Given the large size of the settlement class, he said most GW athletes would likely receive less than $100 each in back damages, while men’s and women’s basketball players may receive slightly more.

Syd Heise contributed reporting.

Sports

Dominique Brown Breaks Longstanding School Record As 31 Spartans Set PR’s at Visit Winston-Salem College Kick Off – University of South Carolina

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – USC Upstate track and field began the indoor season at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick Off today.
The first meet of the season was a successful one, highlighted by freshman Dominique Brown breaking the school record in the women’s 400m with her time of 57.51. The previous school record has stood for 10 years.

Head Coach Carson Blackwelder said, “This was a great start to the track season. We have a very talented team with a lot of potential ahead of us.” A total of 31different Spartans all set personal records in today’s meet.

In addition to Brown, Jenelda Aristhil earned a top finish in both the weight throw and shot put. Michael Moody placed third in the men’s long jump, going a distance of 7.00m.

Coach Blackwelder continued to praise his team, saying, “The 400m runners did a great job on Saturday, and we saw some of the fastest times in school history. The throwers hit some big marks and achieved PRs all around.”

Top Performances (Women):

Dominique Brown – 400m- 57.51 – fifth place (School Record)

Jenelda Aristhil – Weight Throw – 16.96m – fourth place (third all-time in school history)

Shot Put – 12.40m – seventh place (10th all-time in school history)

Paden Bell – 400m – 59.77 (eighth all-time in school history)

Ayla Osterkamp – 400m – 59.85 (ninth all-time in school history)

Aryanna Perez – High Jump – 1.49m (10th all-time in school history)

Jamyllah Handy – Triple Jump – 11.17m (seventh all-time in school history)

Personal Bests (Women)

Brittany Benson– 60m, 200m

Dominique Brown– 60m

Mya Jackson– 60m

Aryanna Perez– 60m Hurdles

Richard’ia Allen– 200m

Paden Bell– 400m

Ayla Osterkamp– 400m

Nia Glover– 400m

Emma Grace Kutilek– 800m

Aryanna Perez– High Jump, Long Jump

Jamyllah Handy– Long Jump, Triple Jump

Jenelda Aristhil– Shot Put, Weight

Saniyah Joyner– Shot Put

Top Performances (Men):

Michael Moody – Long Jump – 7.00m – third place (fifth all-time in school history )

Quintavius James – 60m – 6.83 – fourth place

Jalen Clark – Long Jump – 6.95m – fifth place (sixth all-time in school history)

Collin Bui-Hayes – 60m – 6.88 – seventh place (fourth all-time in school history)

Jeremiah Harris – 200m – 21.53 – seventh place (second all-time in school history)

Shriyaan Krishnaraj – 400m – 48.94 (second all-time in school history)

Elias Harrison – 800m -1:57.98 – 7th place

Pierce Mosley – Shot Put – 14.46m (sixth all-time in school history

Weight – 15.48m – sixth place

Joshua Sterling – Weight- 17.52m – 3rd place (fourth all-time in school history)

Shot Put – 13.68m (10th all-time in school history)

Hunter, Walston, Ruff, Krishnaraj – 4x400m – 2:22.12 – fifth place

Personal Bests

Collin Bui-Hayes– 60m

Evan Daniels– 60m

Jared Isley– 60m Hurdles

ZaCorian Johnson– 200m

Khalif Walston– 200m

Cason McKinney– 200m

Jeremiah Harris– 200m

Shriyaan Krishnaraj– 400m

Chandler Hunter– 400m

Jacob Ruff– 400m

Aidan Kenny– High Jump

Michael Moody– Long Jump

Pierce Mosley– Shot Put

Joshua Sterling– Shot Put

Sam Ketch– Shot Put

Nathaniel Bruce– Shot Put

Tristan Pressley– Triple Jump

Jaylen Pressley– Triple Jump

Up Next for the Spartans

The Spartans resume the season in January, competing at the Tryon International Classic held on the 16th and 17th.

Connect with the Spartans

Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics

Twitter | @UpstateXCTrack @UpstateSpartans

Instagram | @UpstateXCTrack @UpstateSpartans

YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans

INVEST IN CHAMPIONS – Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!

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Where to stream Kansas State Wildcats vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament today

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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The Nebraska Cornhuskers look to keep their impressive season going on Saturday night, as they get set to host the Kansas State Wildcats in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

Nebraska looked impressive in the first round of the tournament, vanquishing the Long Island Sharks in straight sets.

The Cornhuskers rolled toward another Big Ten championship. Nebraska has been dominant. Not only are they undefeated, but they have also been nearly untouchable. For two months, the team did not lose a set. The team then went on to win its final five matches in straight sets, clinching a third consecutive Big Ten Championship.

Now, the program that has played in every national tournament since the AIAW days has its sights set on advancing to the final four for the fourth time in the past five seasons. Nebraska looks to avenge last year’s disappointing semifinal exit at the hands of the eventual national champions, Penn State.

They take on a Kansas State that had to work hard to upset San Diego in the opening round, winning in straight sets on Friday. The Wildcats, who are playing in the national tournament for the first time in four years, look to grab the biggest of upsets and move on to the regional semifinal for the first time since 2011.

NCAA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

Second Round

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

When: Saturday, December 6

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)

Stream: ESPN+

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Jane Hedengren Obliterates the NCAA 5K Record in Boston

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Two weeks after finishing second at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships, freshman Jane Hedengren shattered the collegiate record in the 5,000 meters.

On Saturday, December 6, the Brigham Young University standout won the women’s elite race in 14:44.79 at the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. With a huge surge in the second half of the race, Hedengren improved on the previous indoor collegiate record (14:52.57) set by Doris Lemngole of Alabama at the same meet in Boston last year.

Hedengren also broke the combined collegiate record (indoor and outdoor track), 14:52.18, set by Parker Valby at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Hedengren is now No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list and No. 11 on the world all-time list in the event, indoors.

“This season, there’s been a lot of growth, and I think there’s still so much to build on, lots of gratitude approaching this race and this season, and I’m excited to keep working,” Hedengren told Nia Gibson on the FloTrack broadcast after the race.

Hedengren showed her dominance early at Boston University’s indoor facility. From the gun, Hedengren and Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico both positioned themselves behind pacesetter Ellie Leather through the first mile in 4:48, on pace for a 14:55 finish. By the 2K split, both athletes had pulled ahead of the chase pack by 50 meters.

That gap continued to grow heading into the halfway mark as the cross-country rivals dueled for the lead. Just after the 3,000-meter split, which the pair covered in 8:59, Hedengren surged ahead of Kosgei and never looked back.

For the last 2,000 meters, Hedengren knocked off blazing 34 to 35-second splits for each lap until throwing down an impressive 66-second close for the final 400 meters. Her teammate, Riley Chamberlain, battled for second-place in 14:58.97, a 25-second personal best. Kosgei finished third in 15:05:41.

Before she graduated from Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, last spring, Hedengren broke nine national records on the track—including the 5,000 meters in April when she became the first high school girl to go sub-15 for the distance.

At 19 years old, Hedengren has already emerged as an NCAA leader in her first season running for the Cougars. In October, she dominated the Pre-National Invitational and shattered the course record in her collegiate cross-country debut. She went on to win the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Mountain Region Championships by huge margins.

In late November, Hedengren was competing for the win at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships but couldn’t match the closing speed of Lemngole, the defending champion. With a surge in the last kilometer of the race in Columbia, Missouri, the junior from Kenya claimed the 6K title in 18:25, about 13 seconds ahead of Hedengren.

In a quick turnaround to the track season, Hedengren earned a form of redemption in Boston. She is the most recent athlete in the last several years to break the collegiate record at the indoor season opener, which many elite athletes utilize as a final push of fitness before the holidays. Lemngole—and Valby prior to her—set the indoor record at the same meet.

Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.

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Gophers volleyball wins NCAA Tournament opener, avoids St. Thomas matchup

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2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Minnesota volleyball opened NCAA Tournament play on Friday at Maturi Pavilion with a dominant sweep over Fairfield University. It marks the 11th straight year that the Gophers have won a first-round game.

And we dance on 💃 pic.twitter.com/k5zoEO1vPU

— Minnesota Volleyball (@GopherVBall) December 6, 2025

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The Gophers were seeded fourth in their region after a 22-9 regular-season campaign. The other game in their Minneapolis pod was five-seed Iowa State against in-state foe St. Thomas, which played its first-ever game in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. The Cyclones won a five-set battle before Minnesota’s game.

“I’m proud of our team for playing our brand of volleyball. Serving, blocking and playing really clean. Tomorrow will be a big challenge. Iowa State is a great team in a lot of facets, especially defensively,” Minnesota head coach Keegan Cook said after the game.

Minnesota already beat St. Thomas three sets to one in a nonconference game in August, but an NCAA Tournament clash in the Tommies’ first season eligible would’ve felt like a huge contest. Ultimately, Iowa State will face the Gophers on Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT at Maturi Pavilion with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

The Cyclones had an impressive 22-7 regular-season campaign, and a 12-6 mark in the Big 12. Saturday’s showdown should be a great contest between two of the better college volleyball programs in the Midwest.

Elliot and Thuotte Highlight Men’s Indoor Track and Field Season Opener

Published

3 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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BOSTON, Mass. — Regis College men’s track and field kicked off their indoor season today at the Reggie Lewis Center, competing in the Suffolk Relays and setting two new program records.

Senior Brady Elliot (Charlestown, N.H.) made an impressive debut for the Pride, placing second in the men’s high jump with a leap of 1.85 meters, establishing a new indoor program record. Elliot also competed in the long jump, finishing 12th with a distance of 6.06 meters. Joseph Doughty (Woburn, Mass.) added a seventh-place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.70 meters.

Justin Thuotte (Lebanon, Conn.) earned three top-ten finishes. His best came in the shot put, where he took third with throw of 12.82 meters to set a new personal best. Thuotte also placed fifth in the long jump, setting a new indoor program record with a leap of 6.65 meters, and finished seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 13.28 meters. Ryan Sweeney (Lynn, Mass.) joined Thuotte on the shot put leaderboard, finishing fourth with a toss of 12.65 meters. Sweeney also set a personal best in the weight throw with an 11.28 meter toss.

Jalen Jones (Everett, Mass.) claimed fifth place in the triple jump with a mark of 11.94 meters. Meanwhile, DJ Marks (Medford, Mass.) and Luc Willems (Belchertown, Mass.) rounded out the top ten finishers in the high jump and men’s 1000m, respectively. Marks cleared 1.60 meters in the high jump, and Willems crossed the line in 3:18.18 in the 1000-meter run.

In the men’s 1600 sprint medley relay, the team of Zach Olaywole (Marlborough, Mass.), Jones, Elliot, and Nathan Thomas (Medford, Mass.) finished 13th overall with a time of 4:13.28.

The Pride will quickly turn around as they head to UMass Boston tomorrow for the Beacon Season Opener.

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No. 25 Women’s Volleyball Falls to No. 3 Texas in NCAA Second Round – Penn State

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3 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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AUSTIN, Texas – No. 25 Penn State’s 45^th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament came to an end in the second round Saturday with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-19) loss to No. 3 Texas at Gregory Gymnasium. The Nittany Lions close the season at 19-13 overall, while the Longhorns move on with a record of 25-3.

The loss snapped Penn State’s seven-match NCAA Tournament winning streak, which included six victories on the way to last year’s national title. The Nittany Lions remain second in the nation with eight national titles, trailing only Stanford’s nine.

Kennedy Martin tallied 16 kills for Penn State and has now recorded double-digit kills for the 83^rd-consecutive match when she plays at least three sets. Caroline Jurevicius finished with seven kills, while Emmi Sellman chipped in with five.

Gillian Grimes wrapped up an outstanding collegiate career with a team-high 11 digs. She leaves Penn State as a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, making the first team this season and the second team as a junior last season. She now turns her attention to the pro ranks, where she will play for the San Diego Mojo of Major League Volleyball. Grimes was recently picked by the Mojo in the third round of the MLV Draft.

Torrey Stafford led Texas to the win, hitting .556 with 21 kills. Abby Vander Wal joined her in double-digits with 10 kills, while Cari Spears was next with nine.

Penn State now holds an 11-10 lead in the all-time series with Texas. The teams are knotted at 2-2 in NCAA Tournament matchups against each other.

Saturday’s matchup featured the past three national champions as Texas won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 and Penn State took home the trophy last season.

The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.

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