The agreement between House and the NCAA will have far-reaching consequences on the future of college football and other college sports, with the primary effect being the introduction of a pay-for-play system in which the NCAA and schools will compensate athletes for the first time.
This week, the NCAA and the current Power Five conferences reached an agreement to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a series of lawsuits, with a promise to pay players directly in the future.
The agreement is about to put the “great American institution of college sports” in serious threat, in the opinion of one of the country’s leading universities and athletic departments.
Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins issued a statement after the deal was finalized, asking that the United States Congress get involved to ensure “competitive equity among our teams.”
“The agreement, while undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability, is necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics,” Rev. Jenkins said in a statement.
“To save the great American institution of college sports, Congress must pass legislation that preempts the current patchwork of state laws; establishes that our athletes are not employees, but students pursuing college degrees; and provides protection against future antitrust lawsuits “We must allow universities to establish and enforce rules that will protect our student-athletes and help ensure competitive fairness among our teams.”
Read more: Winners and losers in the agreement between House and NCAA
The purported $2.8 billion settlement will be paid over the next decade to current and former college football players and other athletes by the NCAA, conferences and schools.
Those players argued that previous rules on amateurism prevented them from earning income from endorsements and sponsorships dating back to 2016.
The landmark resolution will create a compensation system that will pay players directly through a revenue-sharing fund that will allow schools to pay up to $22 million in total to athletes.
There are still a mountain of details to be worked out until the system actually changes in accordance with the agreement, but one thing is certain: College football is no longer an amateur sport.
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