Oklahoma working with former Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg on salary cap, revenue sharing

With athletic directors spending the summer figuring out what revenue sharing will look like, Oklahoma is turning to a former NFL executive for assistance.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday morning the Sooners are working with former Philadelphia Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg. Viewed as one of Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman’s closest advisors, Rosenberg is working with Oklahoma to advise on the transition to the “salary cap” era of college athletics, according to Schefter.

Rosenberg is also bringing in his consulting firm, The Athlete Group, to advise on revenue sharing. He was with the Eagles for 12.5 years, working as vice president of football administration and director of football administration at times during his tenure.

With the multibillion-dollar House settlement, schools will have the opportunity to opt-in to a revenue-sharing agreement, with the option to share roughly $20 to $22 million per year with players.

Of the $2.77 billion expected to be paid in back damages to former athletes as part of the House case, the NCAA is expected to be responsible for 40% of the payout. The other 60% will come from a reduction in school distributions. The complete settlement could be submitted to Judge Claudia Wilken in the next week.

Certain pieces of the settlement are still being worked out, including the exact roster limits and a new enforcement arm. Athletic departments have been working to get their hands on data to mock up how the revenue sharing will be split.

Multiple sources have told On3 that NIL collectives will not disappear, contending the donor-funded groups will still be imperative to retaining and attracting talent. The top-funded NIL collectives are spending between $13 to $20 million annually on football rosters at the moment. In basketball, the highest spending programs are pushing $5 million.

“The best thing we can continue to do is have the best thought leaders at the table to understand the changes that have taken place to try to chart the best course forward and to create the model that is going to best represent the rest of the 21st century,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione told On3 in the fall. “That has all sorts of complexities attached to it. But we’ve got to continue to be bold in creating a strategy going forward.”

How plaintiff attorneys divide back damages is expected to be how schools approach Title IX and shape a framework for revenue sharing. Steve Berman, the co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in the House case, recently confirmed to On3 that the settlement is on track to disperse 75% of TV revenue in back damages to football. From there, 15% would be funneled to men’s basketball, 5% to women’s basketball and the final 5% divided by the remaining athletes.