Notre Dame asks Congress to save 'great American institution' college football after House vs NCAA settlement

The settlement from House vs. NCAA means college football will become a pay-to-play sport in the future, and Notre Dame is asking for Congress to intervene

Scenes from a college football game during the NCAA season. / USA Today Sports | Imagn

The settlement of House vs. NCAA will have far-reaching consequences well into the future of college football and other university sports, with the major effect being the introduction of a pay-to-play system in which the NCAA and schools will compensate athletes for the first time ever.

This week, the NCAA and current Power Five conferences came to an agreement to pay out almost $2.8 billion to settle a series of lawsuits, with a promise to pay players directly going forward.

The settlement is poised to put the "great American institution of college sports" in grave threat in the opinion of one of the nation's premier universities and athletic departments.

Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins issued a statement after the settlement came down, requesting that the U.S. Congress get involved to ensure "competitive equity among our teams."

"The settlement, though undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability, is necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics," Rev. Jenkins said in a statement.

"To save the great American institution of college sports, Congress must pass legislation that will preempt the current patchwork of state laws; establish that our athletes are not employees, but students seeking college degrees; and provide protection from further anti-trust lawsuits that will allow colleges to make and enforce rules that will protect our student-athletes and help ensure competitive equity among our teams."

Read More: Winners, losers in House vs. NCAA settlement

The purported $2.8 billion settlement will be paid out over the next decade to current and former college football players and other athletes, by the NCAA, conferences, and schools.

Those players argued that the previous rules around amateurism prevented them from earning an income from sponsorships and endorsements dating back to 2016.

The landmark resolution will create a compensation system that pays players directly through a revenue-sharing fund that will permit schools to pay out up to $22 million total to athletes.

There is still a mountain of details to sort out until the system is actually changed in accordance with the settlement, but one thing is certain: college football is no longer an amateur sport.

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