The NCAA's groundbreaking $2.8 billion settlement in the House v. NCAA lawsuit has received preliminary approval from Judge Claudia Wilken. According to the plan laid out by the approval. schools would be able to begin sharing revenue with players as soon as the 2025-26 school year.
The approval is a key next step in the lengthy legal process for the most transformative settlement in the history of college sports. During a preliminary hearing in September, Wilken asked the two sides to make adjustments to key sections and resubmit. Some of the changes included clarity on "boosters" and "pay-for-play," both of which were areas the NCAA wanted more regulation.
"We are thrilled by Judge Wilken's decision to give preliminary approval to the landmark settlement that will help bring stability and sustainability to college athletics while delivering increased benefits to student-athletes for years to come," NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement. "Today's progress is a significant step in writing the next chapter for the future of college sports. We look forward to working with all of Division I, and especially student-athlete leadership groups to chart the path forward and drive historic change."
The preliminary approval also sets up a tentative timeline for the final steps of the case. Notable dates set out in the settlement include:
- Oct. 18, 2024: Former players will be notified of the decision, and a claims period will begin for eligible people. Only athletes that participated between 2016 and the beginning of the NIL era in 2021 will be eligible, but it should involve many sports.
- Dec. 17, 2024 (60 days after notice): The projected amount of money to be distributed will be publicly available. The final number for specific individuals will depend on a number of factors.
- Jan. 31, 2025 (105 days after notice): The window for people to submit claims for compensation, opt out of the settlement or bring objections to the court closes.
- April 7, 2025: The court will have a hearing for final approval. Notably, it will take place on the same day as the NCAA men's basketball national championship.
When finalized, the House v. NCAA lawsuit will provide transformative change to college athletics heading forward. Most notably, schools will have the ability be able to share up to $22 million each year with players. The settlement projects to create bigger roster caps in many sports, open the door for scholarships to all rostered players and potentially create more enforcement capability by the NCAA.
