NCAA Settlement
Yahoo’s Ross Dellinger reports that the Big 12 has signed the $2.8 billion settlement, but there are issues with how the settlement is being divided:
The industry, on the brink of authorizing a landmark settlement of three consolidated antitrust cases, is fighting amongst itself over how to fund the deal’s $2.8 billion in damages owed to former athletes for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). In a framework approved Tuesday by the Division I Board of Directors, the NCAA will fund 41% of the damages ($1.1 billion) while the schools will fund 60% ($1.65 billion) over a 10-year payback period.
At issue is the schools’ portion. The power conferences will pay about $664 million in contributions to the damages. The other 27 non-power conferences will pay $990 million.
Such a split in damage payments sparked a coalescence of the leaders of the 22 non-FBS conferences. They sent to the NCAA a two-page letter skewering the current funding model and offering an alternate proposal that, while seriously explored, was not ultimately approved.
They are now speaking out publicly.
“This has not been a healthy process,” said Julie Roe Lach, commissioner of the Horizon League and a former NCAA executive who holds a law degree. “This appears to be a rushed process to decide a billion-dollar settlement without collaboration with stakeholders who are responsible for $990 million of it.”
Their argument is simple: The power leagues should be paying a larger portion of the damage payments since a wide majority of those payments will be distributed to former power conference athletes.
According to legal experts and the court’s class certification itself, that is true. An economic report used in the case’s legal filing attributes about 90% of NIL backpay to the first of three certified classes in the case: Power Five football and men’s basketball players, specifically for use of their NIL in broadcasts and video games as well as third-party NIL payments.
You wonder why things are being pushed so much and it’s because these cases can move forward where the potential damages could be $30 billion rather than the $3 billion that’s being settled upon. I don’t have the time or ability to keep up, but Delleger is the go-to source for me on how this will all play out.
On the Diamond
Texas Tech baseball knocked off Texas 6-4 last night, tied 4-4 going into the 9th, Cade McGee homered to left, scoring Gavin Kash who was on 2nd, to take that 6-4 lead. It doesn’t get any easier as Texas Tech will face No. 19 Oklahoma State tonight at 7:30 p.m.
On the Court
Grant McCasland met with the media yesterday (no video as of yet) and these are the selected quotes from the linked article:
On the past two months or roster configuration:
“We’ve had our hands full since the season ended but also a great opportunity to secure our roster – the guys who return and add some great pieces to our team. I’m really excited about our team and where our program is going. At Texas Tech, the standard is to compete for championships and to put ourselves in a position to win a national championship. I’m really excited to get everyone to campus and get to work.”
On building the roster for the 2024-25 season:
“The thing I’ve enjoyed the most about the Spring is the belief and excitement with our current roster. It took us some time to just make sure that everyone who was staying understood the direction we wanted to go. As we started to recruit new team members, I just loved the conviction. I thought our best recruiters were our players. We have a tremendous staff, but the belief and excitement from the current roster is the biggest difference. They know what is expected and what fits our team. They have been the biggest resource in our ability to get the right guys here.”
Selected quotes on adding assistant coach Jeff Linder to the coaching staff:
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Coach Linder join us. We all have relationships with him prior to this… He is one of the best basketball minds there is. Offensively, specifically, but also in scouting and the game. We were able to convince him to come to Tech and be a part of winning a national championship. These days in college basketball, your staff has to be connected. People have to love the game, but you also have to trust each other. I trust him with everything.”
On coaching USA Basketball this summer:
“It’s a remarkable opportunity. It’ll be for the next two summers. Under 18 this summer. Under 19 next. It’s an opportunity to serve. We want to help grow USA Basketball. I’m really thankful for this opportunity. There’s nothing like representing your country. It’s a real honor. An opportunity to help other people get better. That’s where my heart is.”
Someone asked when we might find out more about additional transfers and I think that when the draft process is finished where players have to make a decision to be in or get out of the NBA Draft and I think that date is May 29th, so you may have to wait a week or so before decisions are made.