The NCAA and five major college sports conferences have agreed to settle antitrust allegations for nearly $2.8 billion over the next 10 years. The deal also calls for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to college athletes as soon as fall 2025. If approved by a judge, the payouts will go to thousands of former and current college athletes who were not allowed to earn money from endorsement and sponsorship deals dating to 2016. The Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 were the defendants along with the NCAA.
If the agreement stands, it will mark the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments.
The NCAA and the nation s five biggest conferences announced Thursday night that they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims, a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.