The House Settlement, approved June 6, 2025, is the landmark agreement settling three antitrust lawsuits– House v. NCAA, Carter v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA – faced by the, NCAA and autonomy conferences. The House Settlement will require NCAA institutions to provide backpay to former student-athletes who participated from 2016 to 2024 while also permitting institutions to provide direct compensation to current student-athletes in the form of revenue sharing. Additionally, the Settlement will require changes to roster and athletic scholarship opportunities.
Backpay
Former student-athletes will receive financial distributions from the NCAA and defendant conferences totaling approximately $2.8 billion over the next ten years. The payments are made based on an agreed-upon formula wherein the majority will be paid to former football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball student-athletes.
Current and former student-athletes can learn more about the claims process at www.collegeathletecompensation.com.
Revenue Sharing
Under the terms of the House Settlement, NCAA institutions will be permitted to share up to $20.5 million annually. This number is derived from a formula calculating 22% of aggregate revenues generated by the autonomy institutions.
This new revenue sharing model will directly impact the name, image, and likeness (NIL) landscape as institutions will be permitted to enter into NIL agreements directly with student-athletes.
Roster and Scholarship Changes
As a result of the Settlement, the calculation and implementation of roster spots and scholarship awards will change. Rosters, previously left to the discretion of the institution, will now have a cap on participants. These newly capped rosters will be reported by a specific date each year and may not be changed midyear aside from minor exceptions (e.g., graduation replacements).
In tandem with the roster restrictions, scholarship awards will also be adjusted. The NCAA’s previous team limitations will be removed and each program will be given the freedom to award as many (or as few) scholarships as they choose up to the roster limit. This shift can have significant impact as, for instance, the football program scholarship limit is increased from 85 to 105. The 20-scholarship increase would amount to an increase of approximately $1M for football alone.
