NCAA settlement could mean big bucks for LSU student-athletes

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - College sports will soon have a new game plan.

The NCAA and the five power conferences, including the SEC, agreed to a settlement that paves the way for schools to pay student-athletes. According to reports, the agreement includes the payment of nearly $3 billion in damages to current and past athletes dating back to 2016. It would be paid out over the next decade.

“It is probably the most significant legal development in NCAA history,” said Fritz Metzinger, Sports Attorney and Associate at Stone Pigman.

Metzinger said this is a settlement of three lawsuits filed against the NCAA. The parties agree to share revenue that will allow each school including LSU to pay up to $21 million a year.

“They are co-signing schools, power five schools at least. They are enabling them to pay student-athletes out of the revenues they make from those sports directly for participating. Not just to go to school, but for what they earn for the school,” said Metzinger.

The NCAA and the five conferences, including the SEC said in a joint statement, “This settlement is also a road map for college sports leaders and Congress to ensure this uniquely American institution can continue to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students.”

College sports are more popular than ever, especially women’s basketball. Several players also have name, image, and likeness deals. This new agreement leaves that in bounds, but there are still many unanswered questions about how it will play out.

“Theoretically, a school could pay. If that had 22 million dollars of revenue to pay. They could pay their star women’s basketball player 20 million dollars and spread the two million across every other student-athlete,” said Metzinger.

The settlement still needs to be ironed out and signed off by a judge.

If approved, colleges can begin revenue sharing as easily as the fall of 2025.

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