Tony Petitti releases statement on House v. NCAA settlement approval

On Friday, Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House v. NCAA settlement, which will allow colleges to directly pay athletes and usher in the era of revenue sharing. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti released a statement regarding the monumental settlement.

“We look forward to implementing this historic settlement designed to bring stability, integrity and competitive balance to college athletics while increasing both scholarship and revenue opportunities for student athletes in all sports,” Petitti wrote.

Wilken’s approval finally came almost 59 months after the initial suit was filed. The long waiting period has given Power Four conferences such as the Big Ten to prepare for the paradigm shift.

Beginning July 1, schools will allowed to share $20.5 million with athletes, with football expected to receive 75%, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%) and the remainder of sports (5%). The amount shared in revenue will increase annually.

Power Four football programs will have roughly $13 to $16 million to spend on rosters for the 2025 season. Many schools have front-loaded contracts ahead of the settlement’s approval, taking advantage of contracts not being vetted by the newly formed NIL clearinghouse.

“Despite some compromises, the settlement agreement nevertheless will result in extraordinary relief for members of the settlement classes,” Wilken wrote in her 76-page final opinion. “If approved, it would permit levels and types of student-athlete compensation that have never been permitted in the history of college sports, while also very generously compensating Division I student-athletes who suffered past harms.”

To enforce this new era, the NCAA is creating the College Sports Commission. Major League Baseball executive Bryan Seeley will serve as the commission’s CEO, the commission announced late Friday.

“I am honored to serve as the first CEO of the College Sports Commission at this pivotal moment in the history of collegiate athletics,” Seeley said in a statement. “I look forward to implementing a system that prioritizes fairness, integrity, and opportunity, while preserving the values that make college sports unique. I am energized by the work ahead and excited to begin building out our team.”

While the near five-year waiting period from the time the lawsuit was filed to Wilken’s final approval gave institutions time to prepare for the changes ahead, there are still many unknowns. Notably, many have questioned how the NCAA will prevent teams from seeking state legislature that circumvents the new rules.

The College Sports Commission will address issues such as these. Only time will tell how Wilken’s historic ruling will ultimately affect college athletics.

On3’s Pete Nakos and Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.