The biggest story in NCAA sports this year has been the change to the college athletics model following multiple lawsuits against the NCAA. The battle over Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments was finally resolved on July 26, 2024, when the final rulings from the federal court judges were made public.
There are a few tenets of the decision that won’t necessarily impact future athletes but are worth noting. The first is that the five largest NCAA conferences and the NCAA governing body have agreed to pay $2.8 billion dollars to settle antitrust claims for not allowing athletes to earn money via NIL in the past. Those payments will be spread out between organizations and include back payments to athletes as far back as 2018. The second is that schools will now have the option to offer revenue sharing to athletes, up to $25 million per year paid directly by the school itself – a change from payments coming primarily via collectives and donors since the advent of NIL funding.
However, there are two components of the recent decisions that will likely have a significant impact on future recruits and the landscape of college athletics in general:
- Roster caps: Previously, the NCAA instituted scholarship limits, but it allowed schools to keep an unlimited number of athletes on their roster, leaving it up to individual schools to allocate those roster slots to meet Title IX requirements and budgetary constraints. The new ruling changed that entirely, as schools now have mandated roster caps by sport. Within that cap, schools have the option to extend scholarships, cost of attendance stipends, revenue sharing, etc. to all athletes on the roster. For some sports, that means a significant decrease in roster size; for others, it means a major increase in funding. How exactly that will work remains to be seen, but it is expected to have a major impact over the next few years of recruiting.
- Removal of the Transfer Eligibility Penalty: The NCAA changed the rules to accommodate transfers and allow athletes to transfer one time without penalty. However, if an athlete transferred more than once as an undergrad, they forfeited one year of their NCAA allowable eligibility. Athletes are now allowed to transfer as many times as they wish without penalty.
So, what does this mean for hopeful athletic recruits? While it seems like it should significantly increase funding and opportunities at the Division I level, the reality is that schools still have discretion over how they allocate funds. They are not required to fully fund scholarships for all roster spots in any sport – they now simply have the option to do so. Additionally, colleges have the ability to opt out of these measures and continue under the current model; however, that is likely to create a pretty significant divide between the “haves“ and the “have-nots.” With the removal of transfer limitations, there will be more athletes vying for the resources offered at the most well-funded schools, making it harder to land one of the coveted spots.
It will be a rocky road for high school athletes looking to participate in almost any sport at the college level. But never fear! We have specialists who can help give you the best shot at navigating this complex process and continuing your athletic career.
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