©Jerome Miron - Imagn Images
If you follow college sports, you’ve certainly heard of the proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA that would change college sports significantly. Schools would be able to share their revenue with student-athletes, roster limits would be put in place instead of scholarship limits, and NIL deals would be subject to outside scrutiny to determine if they are indeed fair market value.
Judge Claudia Wilken likes most of the settlement, except for one big issue. Upon hearing testimony from multiple athletes last month whose careers would be impacted by roster limits that would take away their spots, WIlken told both sides to go back and amend the deal to deal with these athletes.
This makes sense, as student-athletes made crucial life choices based on roster limits that didn’t exist. Wilken believes they shouldn’t be impacted and instead should be grandfathered in. It appears that the NCAA and the plaintiffs have agreed to do just that.
NCAA House settlement update: Briefs will be filed tonight from plaintiffs' attorneys and the NCAA proposing new language on roster limits. Specifically, all current athletes who had their positions cut can be reinstated for the duration of their careers — at the schools'…
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) May 7, 2025
There’s one key fact in here, though. It is at the schools’ discretion as to whether to allow them back. Remember, the schools themselves, which govern the NCAA, wanted the roster limits to more effectively control costs. The new language doesn’t force schools to grandfather these student-athletes in. I assume some schools will indeed choose not to grandfather in these athletes to save money, money that is going to be even tighter due to the revenue sharing of up to $20 or so million per school per year.
Ultimately, this settlement will significantly change college sports.