With NCAA Revenue Sharing Emerges a New Antitrust Challenge

Yesterday, Judge Claudia Wilken of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted preliminary approval of the House v. NCAA class action settlement agreement to award former college athletes roughly $2,780,000,000 in NIL backpay. Beyond the restitution to the former athletes who were constrained by the NCAA’s unlawful restriction of Name, Image, and Likeness compensation, the settlement looks to add a novel component to the NCAA’s structuring, a NIL-based revenue-sharing system that colleges can opt-in to pay their players.