NCAA votes to accept $2.8 billion settlement that could usher in dramatic change for college sports

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Associated Press News

SPORTS
NCAA votes to accept $2.8 billion settlement that could usher in dramatic change for college sports

BY RALPH D. RUSSO
Updated 12:54 PM EDT, May 23, 2024

The NCAA and Big Ten Conference leadership approved a $2.8 billion settlement of antitrust claims Wednesday, moving college athletics closer to some of the most sweeping changes in its history.

The NCAA completed its three-part approval process late Wednesday, with its 15-member Board of Governors voting unanimously to accept the proposal — with one member abstaining — according to two people with direct knowledge of the vote who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NCAA was not publicly revealing its internal process.

The settlement could resolve three major antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA that carry the threat of some $20 billion in damages, a blow that would cripple the organization. The settlement includes dramatic changes to the NCAA’s amateur sports model, including allowing revenue-sharing by schools with their athletes.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs in House v. the NCAA gave the defendants a Thursday deadline to agree to a settlement. Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 presidents were scheduled to meet during the day to consider the deal.(1)

{snip}

(1) https://apnews.com/article/college-athletes-nil-eb702d33a87bca98084ea492eccdf84c

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-settlement-3e26c017980afe0ee1c6a28f77abcf5a

[LisaM]

1. I hate this.

They are systematically dismantling college sports and for what? Corporate profits? Legalized gambling?

[JT45242]

2. This will likely kill all but the 4 largest conferences...since most colleges lose money on sports overall

If you went to a school in the MAC, SWAC, Mountain West, Conference USA, etc. the schools all lose a ton of money on sports once you pay for scholarships, coaches, tutors, facilities, insurance, etc.

So, the schools will have limited choices --
a) eliminate everything except football, mens basketball, and womens basketball (which raises a HUGE Title 9 problem) as the only sports that even have a chance of breaking even.
b) Drop down a division so that there are fewer scholarships -- and less cost -- but this also comes with a huge loss of TV revenue -- networks can't sell ad time for D2 so they do not pay much for those
c) Eliminate sports all together and all the scholarships that go with it.

For most schools in the MAC etc mentioned above you could predict the increase in tuition/fees by divinding the money lost by the athletics department by the total number of students. Larger fee increases just aren't sustainable to cover sports just aren't sustainable.

[LisaM]

3. Yes, it's a clusterf**k

All done to gratify ego and rake in corporate profits. Football athletes in the big conferences were already receiving stipends, on top of scholarships, room, board, and very often, luxury trips abroad before the season. Not enough, apparently.

[msongs]

4. move to an employee/employer model where "athletes" are hired and paid and can also be fired. attending

any classes will be optional.