Texas AD: Longhorns would pay $10K per athlete under potential rulings
University of Texas athletic director Steve Patterson said recent court rulings could lead to the school spending an additional $10,000 on each student athlete, Michael A. Lindenberger of the Dallas Morning News reports.
During a forum on the future of college sports, Patterson said the potential rulings would result in Texas spending an extra $6 million per year. The money cover two areas: college expenses that "aren’t covered by a traditional full scholarship" and $5,000 in compensation to athletes for the university’s use of his image.
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Over the summer, the federal judge in the O'Bannon vs. NCAA case ruled that the NCAA violated antitrust law by preventing student-athletes from being compensated for their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. The NCAA is appealing the ruling.
The college expense portion would include meals and trips home for student athletes, while the $5,000 compensation is a result of the ruling in O'Bannon v. NCAA.
Trey Scott of 247Sports reached out to Texas for clarification about Patterson's comments.
Texas spokesman Nick Voinis, when asked by Horns247 to clarify the context of the article, said the question Patterson was addressing was, "How much would it cost if [they] lost all appeals?"
"What he said was, based on the [O'Bannon vs. NCAA] decision and the additional food cost, the total bill would be about [$10,000] per student per year," Voinis said.
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Patterson said Texas wouldn't have problems paying the extra $6 million but could force some tough choices for the athletic department in the future.
In August, Patterson said he does not believe college players should be paid or allowed to profit off their names and likenesses.
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