‘Taxation Without Representation’: What the NCAA’s $2.8 Billion Settlement Means for Harvard

A nearly $2.8 billion settlement proposed by the National College Athletics Association and the Power Five Conferences will allow collegiate athletes to be paid by their universities — a historic shift that may leave Harvard Athletics bleeding.

The settlement — which comes amid larger questions about the Ivy League’s athlete scholarship and compensation policies — will leave universities like Harvard on the hook for significant portions of the payout as they combat growing incentive for athletes to depart for larger programs that offer pay.

College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo declined to comment for this story.

House vs. NCAA, the primary case being settled, represents the latest in a series of changes to the role of players in collegiate athletics that began in 2021 when the Supreme Court ruled that NCAA players could make money in advertising deals while remaining eligible.