House is open in new era for CU Buffs athletics – Boulder Daily Camera

At long last, the House is open.

On Friday night the inevitable finally became reality, as the settlement was finalized in the House vs. NCAA case that will usher in a new era in collegiate athletics.

A consolidation of several antitrust suits filed against the NCAA, the House settlement opens the door for direct revenue sharing between universities and athletes, with former athletes dating back to 2016 eligible for back pay.

Roster limits also will be reset across all sports. For instance, in men’s basketball scholarships had been capped at 13, but coaches essentially could carry as many walk-ons as they wanted. The new roster limit will be 15, with all spots available for scholarships.

The settlement allows universities to compensate athletes up to $20.5 million, a sum total for the entire athletic department. It is up to each school to decide how that money gets dispersed, although revenue sports like football and men’s basketball will reap the biggest rewards at most schools.

Universities also don’t have to disperse the entire $20.5 million total, yet in a newsletter sent on Saturday morning CU athletic director Rick George wrote, “While athletic departments are not required to compensate student-athletes up to the cap, in order to remain competitive, it is our intention to fully meet the $20.5 million responsibility.”

The spin will be this will open more opportunities for student-athletes. In some cases, that will be true. But most of those cases will be from football and basketball. Non-revenue sports will be fighting for whatever scraps of revenue and resources trickle down their way. There will be changes, and at CU the blood-letting already began 24 hours before the settlement became official when longtime assistants Casey Malone and Lindsey Malone — two former CSU Rams who devoted the better part of two decades apiece to CU track and field — saw their positions eliminated.

Since the COVID pandemic George has been consistently adamant in his desire to not cut programs. And quite frankly, CU can’t really drop any programs without threatening either Title IX compliance or its status as an FBS-level Division I athletics program. Yet the elimination of the Malones’ jobs (Casey was CU’s throws coach; Lindsey will remain the combined events coach through next week’s NCAA outdoor championships) sent a clear signal across Buff Nation.

For distance runners, Colorado should remain a premier destination. But any sprinter, hurdler, jumper or thrower who wants to compete for championships won’t be doing so at CU. The fallout from the House settlement could have similar ramifications in other Olympic sports like tennis, golf and skiing.

The CU men finished last in the 13-team field at the Big 12 outdoor track and field championships last month by a wide margin (the Buffs posted 18 points; 12th-place Cincinnati had 34.33). The women finished 16th out of 16. Until the distance running rosters get back to a place where they can lift the entire program, the basement is going to become familiar territory. After this week’s news, help won’t be on the way.

The sad part is the Malones represent all that is supposed to be good about college athletics beyond the jam-packed football stadiums and March Madness. Whether it was in the Pac-12 or Big 12, the Buffs were always going to face an uphill battle competing nationally in field events. Yet one could argue Casey and Lindsey got as much, or more, out of their student-athletes with the resources available as any CU coach over the past two decades.

Their athletes competed. They graduated. If they didn’t go pro they nonetheless became consummate pros in their chosen profession. It’s easy to say Travis Hunter bleeds black and gold when we see him literally bleeding while dominating on the football field. Or when KJ Simpson hits the game-winner in the final seconds of an NCAA Tournament game. But behind the spotlights and the ridiculous economics of major college athletics, there are Casey and Lindsey Malones at every school whose blood, sweat and tears are equally passionate.

Just check out the buffalo mural Lindsey painted on the Events Center concourse. Or digest this quote from Casey only one year ago, as CU hosted the Pac-12 outdoor track and field finals at a newly-renovated Potts Field.

“I think we have a high expectation. We’ve seen meets on the biggest level, and we’ve seen what the Pac-12 championships can be,” Casey said. “It’s such an honor to get to host, especially since this is potentially the last Pac-12 championship. We’ve taken it really seriously. Our facility is not in Pac-12 championship form at all times. Maybe Oregon’s is. But now is the time when we get a chance to really let this whole place kind of blossom and put every little ounce of effort into making everything right. There’s all these little behind-the-scenes details that most people will never see when they come to a track meet. We feel very serious about making it as high-level as possible.”

The House is open, but the doors are closing for coaches like the Malones across the country.