NIL Struggles Far From Over After NCAA’s House Settlement

NIL Struggles Far From Over After NCAA’s House Settlement originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The historic decision to overturn the current NCAA regulations regarding student-athlete compensation in favor of a more profitable era has been made. However, another issue has arisen.

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Less than a week since the House Settlement was finalized, eight female athletes from three different schools have filed an appeal to the landmark ruling. They claim that the settlement violates federal anti-discrimination law against female athletes. The appeal addresses concerns about fair compensation for female athletes and asserts that the settlement itself violates Title IX, a federal law that strictly prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.

The eight former student-athletes who initiated this appeal are College of Charleston’s Lexi Drumm, Emma Appleman, Riley Hass, Savannah Baron, Elizabeth Arnold, Emmie Wannemacher, Kacie Breeding from Vanderbilt University, and Kate Johnson from Virginia Tech University. These athletes are proficient in soccer, track and field, and volleyball.

Each of these individuals had previously filed objections to the proposed NCAA settlement, granting them standing to appeal the decision. They, along with their legal representation, contend that former female student-athletes will be receiving an unjust amount of compensation based on the settlement’s terms. Attorney Ashlyn Hare has even asserted that female athletes would be deprived of $1.1 billion.

In response, the plaintiffs in the settlement issued a statement revealing the consequences of this appeal, as well as stating that Judge Wilken (the judge who made the historic decision) has already made the correct decision to deal with the Title IX issue “correctly, quickly, and multiple times”. With this appeal set to play out, former student-athletes may be waiting another few months to possibly more than a year before the first settlement checks begin to arrive, putting a halt to the player back-pay settlement once again.

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The settlement has shown that priorities will be given to football and basketball players when it comes to NIL payments, showing that the stars of these sports at the biggest schools will receive a larger chunk of the allotted $20.5 million per year that colleges will be allowed to share with their student-athletes.

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It is also rumored that athletes in sports at those same schools that don’t make as much revenue could possibly see their partial scholarships removed or even roster spots cut due to the decision of the settlement as it is now. The appeal is set to challenge these issues as well.

With this appeal filed and the back-pay to former student-athletes temporarily suspended, the decisions made in the future will establish regulations and ensure a fair and equitable future for both male and female student-athletes.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.