ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke down the latest with the NCAA House Settlement following an agreement this week. Most would want to know with a new allotment of money per school, if it would finally level the playing field around college athletics.

This is especially questioned in football where it’s the big boys and everyone else. Not necessarily a sport for underdogs, mostly, at the collegiate level.

Now that the House Settlement has passed, to the tune of nearly $3 billion, Thamel explained how this is going to work exactly. But it won’t stop the big boys from being the big boys.

“That’s a fascinating question, and there are so many variables between what’s being structured and what’s going to actually happen that I’m hesitant to predict an ideal situation,” Thamel said on SportsCenter. “I think the reality for a lot of this is the schools, the big box brands, the ones whose logos you recognize, have always had a competitive advantage for those brands, and how the NIL system is going to be set up, meaning schools can give $20.5 million for their athletes. 

“So in theory, that is going to be evenly spread. But where the competitive advantages go, they used to be about grey areas are now going to be how much outside NIL is going to be available to those athletes.”

With this House Settlement, schools can now directly pay athletes. Prior to this, the NCAA never did nor allowed payments directly to athletes over the last century-plus. As you can see, things have drastically changed in the era of NIL and the transfer portal.

Beginning July 1, schools will be able to share $20.5 million with athletes, with football expected to receive 75%, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of sports (5%),’ as On3’s Pete Nakos pointed out. The amount shared in revenue will increase annually due to this House Settlement.

“You’re not supposed to promise it up front, but look, Texas is going to have more outside NIL available than Louisiana-Monroe as it goes,” Thamel said. “So how those deals are accepted through this NIL clearing house, look, they named a CEO of the College Sports Commission last night, like by midnight, there were a flurry of tweets, and it was like, ‘Hi, I’m your new commission, and this is your new commissioner, and we’re going to run college sports now.’ 

“The old NCAA enforcement model as we knew it is primarily dead. NCAA enforcement still exists for academic cases and fairness of the game cases, as the (Connor) Stalions case in Indianapolis this weekend is going on, but there is a whole new sheriff in town. His name is Brian Seeley, and he comes over for Major League Baseball, and he was hired formally within three hours of the settlement coming. His job and the role of his organization is ultimately going to determine your question of whether this evens the playing field or those advantages still exist.”

The newly formed agency in charge of policing rules in the remade college sports system picked Major League Baseball executive Bryan Seeley as its new CEO.

The College Sports Commission announced Seeley as its new leader Friday, shortly after U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken granted final approval of the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement.

Advertisement

The settlement allows schools to directly pay players for using their name, image and likeness in endorsement deals. It also allows players to receive NIL payments from third parties.

The new commission will be in charge of making sure schools adhere to the rules, which call for a $20.5 million cap on all payments. It is also setting up a clearinghouse to evaluate third-party deals worth $600 or more.

“I look forward to implementing a system that prioritizes fairness, integrity, and opportunity, while preserving the values that make college sports unique,” Seeley said in a statement announcing his appointment. “I am energized by the work ahead and excited to begin building out our team.”

As executive vice president of legal and operations, Seeley oversaw MLB investigations, compliance, state government relations, sports betting and other areas. He played a key role in MLB’s sign-stealing investigation into the Houston Astros in 2020.

The CSC will begin operation on July 1 when the settlement officially takes effect.

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State Softball alumnae Lexi Kilfoyl and Samantha Show, along with manager Josh Eurich, will begin the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) on Saturday.
 
Kilfoyl, the No. 1 pick from the inaugural AUSL draft, will play for the Bandits, while Show is set to compete for the Volts. Eurich is an assistant coach for the Volts, as well.
 
The Talons and Bandits open the season today at 2 p.m. CT at The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill., on the MLB Network. The Volts and Blaze follow them with a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch at Wilkins Stadium in Wichita, Kan., also broadcast on the MLB Network.
 
The AUSL will travel to 10 different cities this year before each team having a home city in 2026. Each team will play 24 games during the season, with the top two teams facing off in a best-of-three championship series at the end of July. Following the AUSL Championship, 60 players will compete to be crowned as the individual champion in the AUSL All-Star Cup, a 21-game competition in August featuring the signature Athletes Unlimited scoring system. For the full schedule and more information, visit theausl.com.
 
Earlier this month, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it will be investing in the AUSL and softball at all levels, Along with MLB’s investment, 16 games – including the Championship Series from July 22-23 – will be aired on ESPN2 or ESPNU. Five games will be aired exclusively on the MLB Network with over 30 games available to stream for free on MLB.com and MLB TV.
 
Pro Pokes in the AUSL
 
Bandits
Lexi Kilfoyl
 
Volts
Samantha Show
Josh Eurich (assistant coach)

A new chapter in college athletics has officially begun.

On Friday, Judge Claudia Wilken approved a deal that permits schools to directly pay their student-athletes. Previously, athletes earned money through third-party NIL deals, some of which were outrageously expensive. Athletes can still land NIL deals, but for any payment of $600 or more, the deal will need to be approved through a clearinghouse, named NIL Go, which will be run by Deloitte, on behalf of the College Sports Commission. Approvals/rejections of deals are expected to be determined in roughly 24 hours.

For the 2025-26 sports season, schools will be operating with a $20.5 million cap, which will increase each year by at least 4%. It is up to each school to decide how that money will be divided up amongst its programs, but most Division I schools will spend the majority of their money on football and men’s basketball, of course.

In previous months, West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker has stated on numerous occasions that he felt confident that WVU would be at or near the full revenue share, which will help them be competitive. Being at the cap each year will be a new challenge for Baker and his fellow ADs. Falling way short will put those schools at a serious disadvantage.

As far as the football roster is concerned, yes, rosters are shrinking. Teams will be capped at 105 players, all of whom can be on scholarship, although it’s unlikely that all 105 will be. Rich Rodriguez did get his wish, however, in that players who were on a 2024-25 roster can be grandfathered in, allowing a team to surpass the 105 limit until said player(s) eligibility is exhausted.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Steve Sabins Calls Bullpen Near Clemson’s ‘Drunk Frat Guys’ a ‘Bogus’ Setup

Steve Sabins Reveals West Virginia’s Starting Pitcher for Game 1 vs. LSU

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey Accepts Wager from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry

Flip Alert? Recently Committed Offensive Lineman Still Plans to Take WVU Visit