"Much better system than these nonsense NIL collectives" "Folks think this is a good thing": Fans divided over House vs NCAA antitrust case settlement

A monumental step in college sports came with the House vs NCAA antitrust lawsuit settlement. It is regarded as the biggest court ruling in college sports since NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma in 1984. But it seems to have divided the fans rather than uniting them, as was expected by many.

The settlement includes a payment of roughly $2.8 billion in NIL back pay for the players at the NCAA level. It also put in place a general framework for sharing revenue generated by the sport with those who perform on the field. It is a step further in the direction of giving the players a share of the pie they help cook.

According to a report by On3, the NCAA and the Power Five conferences have agreed to allow member schools to pay student-athletes directly. The proposal was voted on by the Southeastern Conference, which has decided to go with it.

“Will take some figuring out, Title IX and the details, but we have a new era of college sports,” On3 Sports’ Florida Gators expert Nick de la Torre said in a post on X.

While the players would be happy, the new framework has divided the fan base. Some hailed the initiative as a much better system than NIL, others dished out their criticism of the House vs NCAA settlement. Here are some reactions:

“I feel bad for the small schools they never gone be able to compete with them big boys,” a fan gave their opinion.

“So no sun belt players,” another fan asked.

“People will hate it but the players are the driving force of college athletics' annual revenue,” a fan defended the settlement.

“So this should make scholarships taxable ?” another fan posted.

What is the House vs NCAA antitrust settlement?

The NCAA and the Power conferences reached an agreement on Thursday that allows schools to directly pay their student-athletes. The two sides were embroiled in a class action lawsuit, and the vs NCAA settlement ended the court proceedings. The NCAA will give almost $2.8 billion to former Division I athletes as back pay for NIL, and a revenue-sharing model will be undertaken for the future.

Scholarship caps are also a thing of the past due to the House vs NCAA settlement, with the two sides agreeing on a roster limit system. It could be a death knell for walk-on athletes and change the college sports scene forever, according to a report by The Athletic. The details haven't been ironed out yet, and the full extent of the changes can only be known in the future.