Power Conferences Vow Unified Support for $2.8B NCAA Settlement Amid Legal Scrutiny

The Power Five conferences reaffirm their unified support for the $2.8B NCAA settlement, aiming to resolve legal concerns and usher in a new era of college sports.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey introduces Alabama coach Kirsty Curry during SEC Media Day at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2024. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A day after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken sent both sides in House v. NCAA back to the drawing board, the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the proposed $2.8 billion settlement that would fundamentally reshape college sports.

“We continue to support the agreed-upon settlement, which is intended to bring much-needed stability and fairness to college sports,” the leagues said in a press release. “This agreement will provide more opportunities for student-athletes to benefit during their participation in intercollegiate athletics, paving the way for the future of college sports. We will provide all requested information in a timely manner and remain focused on securing Judge Wilken’s approval of this proposed agreement, allowing us to move forward with implementing these significant advancements for student-athletes across the country.”

Wilken did not issue a ruling from the bench, which came as no surprise given the scale and complexity of the deal.

Still, she made it clear that key issues must be addressed before the settlement can move forward.

Among the biggest sticking points are the immediate enforcement of new roster limits, the binding of future athletes to a settlement they have no opportunity to consent to and the creation of a third-party NIL clearinghouse to evaluate deals over $600.

The parties now have one week to respond to the court’s concerns.

What gives the agreement its best chance to stay intact is the unified stance of the power conferences. With hundreds of schools, thousands of athletes and a rapidly evolving legal and financial landscape in play, cohesion is critical.

The conferences remain aligned in their belief that this is the best practical path forward. That coordination, along with the existing structure of the deal, positions them to quickly provide the targeted revisions Judge Wilken is requesting.

There is broad acknowledgment that the settlement has flaws. But for the NCAA, the power conferences and most athletes, the alternative would be worse.

Continued litigation, patchwork reforms or inconsistent state laws would only further destabilize a system already under immense pressure.

The settlement, while imperfect, offers a roadmap toward stability, structure and direct athlete compensation.

The next move is already underway.

Attorneys for both sides are expected to return their proposed adjustments next week. If those changes satisfy the court’s concerns, the agreement could soon receive final approval and take effect on July 1.

From there, college athletics would enter a new phase, one where schools can pay players directly and the old model of amateurism finally gives way to a system that recognizes the economic value of student-athletes.

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