NIL
House v. NCAA Settlement Explained
Zach Stipe Associate AD / Communications Story Links Donate to the Impact Fund CINCINNATI – A new path for college athletics begins July 1, as athletics departments nationwide will begin directly sharing revenue with student-athletes following the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement […]

Zach Stipe
Associate AD / Communications
CINCINNATI – A new path for college athletics begins July 1, as athletics departments nationwide will begin directly sharing revenue with student-athletes following the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement on Friday by Judge Claudia Wilken.
The University of Cincinnati Athletics Department has spent months preparing for this shift and has opted into the settlement. The settlement allows schools to directly share up to approximately $20.5 million with student-athletes, while also providing back-pay to certain former athletes. The newly established College Sports Commission will oversee this system, alongside strengthened regulation of third-party NIL deals through NIL Go, ensuring a more transparent and sustainable model for the future of college sports.
Cincinnati plans to be a full revenue-sharing participant in line with its Big 12 peers to compete for championships.
The Athletics Impact Fund, created earlier this year, will play a key role in helping Cincinnati fund this new model by providing critical resources to support revenue sharing and ensure the Bearcats continue to compete for championships.
“This is a transformative moment for college sports and for Cincinnati Athletics,” said Director of Athletics John Cunningham. “We anticipated this change and have been planning carefully to position the Bearcats for continued success in this new model.”
Here is everything you need to know about the House settlement and how it affects the Bearcats.
Revenue Sharing and the Impact Fund
Under the settlement, athletics departments may distribute up to an estimated $20.5 million annually in direct revenue to student-athletes, which includes scholarships.
Cincinnati intends to be full participants in revenue sharing, and will use the newly-formed Athletics Impact Fund to support it.
Fans interested in contributing to the Impact Fund can visit GoBearcats.com/Impact to learn more.
NIL Go
To bring consistency and transparency to NIL deals, the settlement introduces NIL Go, a new reporting platform for all third-party NIL agreements valued at $600 or more. This ensures deals reflect legitimate business partnerships.
Director of Athletics John Cunningham played a key role in shaping the future of college athletics as a member of the House Settlement Implementation Committee, where he served on the subcommittee that partnered with Deloitte to help define and formalize the national NIL process—work that will directly support Cincinnati’s efforts to thrive in this new model of student-athlete compensation.
College Sports Commission
Oversight of revenue sharing and NIL activity will be handled by the independent College Sports Commission, which was established to provide fairness and consistent enforcement of the new system. Learn more at collegesportscommission.org.
UC Positioned to Thrive in New NIL Landscape
Cincinnati is uniquely positioned to thrive in this more regulated NIL landscape, with eight Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the region and a strong network of local businesses that can engage with UC student-athletes through compliant, transparent partnerships.
UC’s Director of NIL & Innovation Eddie Taylor just won the NIL Educator of the Year Award at AthleteCon on Friday. The Bearcats took home the Best Institutional NIL Department at the NIL Summit in 2024, as well.
Businesses interested in pursuing NIL partnerships with Bearcats student-athletes should contact Taylor at eddie.taylor@uc.edu for more information.
Roster Flexibility and Student-Athlete Support
The settlement also removes previous NCAA scholarship limits, giving Cincinnati greater flexibility to offer more educational and athletic opportunities. Cincinnati will utilize this flexibility to continue supporting its 16 varsity sports and maximizing opportunities for student-athletes.
What About Former Student-Athletes?
Former and current student-athletes who began competing in 2016 through Sept. 15, 2024 are eligible for name, image, and likeness (NIL) backpay. Both parties negotiated a settlement to distribute $2.78 billion to eligible student-athletes. Backpay amounts will be determined by a distribution plan designed by the plaintiffs in the case. Institutions will not have a say in backpay amounts.
Backpay monies will not be paid to former student-athletes directly from UC but as a part of the NCAA’s legal settlement process.
The deadline for former student-athletes to apply for backpay was Jan. 31, 2025.
How Can I Help?
In anticipation of this decision, Cincinnati Athletics and the University of Cincinnati launched the Athletics Impact Fund in April. The purpose of the Impact Fund is to provide UC with the resources to recruit and retain top student-athletes who will position its athletic programs to compete for championships in the Big 12 Conference and on the national stage.
Please visit this link if you would like to make a donation to the Athletics Impact Fund.
Looking Ahead
As this new model begins, Cincinnati is ready. The Bearcats are committed to providing an unparalleled student-athlete experience and competing for championships in this evolving landscape.
“We are confident in our position and excited for what’s ahead,” Cunningham said. “Thanks to the support of our community and the strength of our department, we are well-prepared to thrive in this new era.”
About Cincinnati Athletics:
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 450 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 118 conference titles. The Cincinnati men’s basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first non-Power Five program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
In 2023, the Bearcats entered a new era as a Power Four School when they officially joined the Big 12 Conference, positioning Cincinnati among the nation’s premier athletics programs.
Off the field, UC student-athletes continue to find success, as well, collectively posting a school-record 3.52 GPA in the spring of 2025.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics’ mission is to connect our community, enhance our university and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com.