College athletes set to receive $2.8 billion from the NCAA

The NCAA recently announced they would agree to pay around $2.8 billion to settle multiple antitrust claims. This decision would preview a revenue-sharing model, and athletes would be able to start seeing some of the money close to the fall 2025 semester.

The federal judge who manages the case must approve the deal. The plaintiffs will have the opportunity to pull out or challenge the terms of the agreement.

Victoria Jackson, Sports Historian and Clinical Associate Professor at ASU, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the case.

“They agreed to settle, so different course this time around. They’re not going to fight and keep fighting and keep paying lawyers, they’re going to settle. This was an antitrust case, and so the settlement means they’re going to start paying players,” said Jackson.  

Jackson added that the rules were a violation of antitrust laws. 

“It was claiming that the no-pay-for-play rules were a violation of antitrust law, and we just had another big antitrust case that the Supreme Court ruled unanimously to say the NCAA and the number of schools through their conferences were in violation of antitrust law,” said Jackson. 

The NCAA also plans to preview a revenue-sharing model for the near future. 

“Depending on how quickly this goes through, this is a preliminary situation that we’re in. The judge is going to review it, it’s going to go to the claimants, and they’re going to say whether or not they like this. And then there’s going to be a hearing, so if this is the settlement agreement going forward, they’re going to start paying about 22%. The schools get to opt in so it’s not mandatory. A school can revenue share 22% and with any athletes they’d like,” said Jackson.