NCAA Revenue Sharing Update

[metsfan2323]

The 20 million number is probably a salary cap for the power schools. I doubt schools who do not have football and have no football revenue are going to be forced to give 20 million to their athletes. At the end of the day "revenue sharing" should be based on a percentage of sports revenue per school not an artificial mandatory number.

 

[Tenspro2002]

You would have to completely kill football to stay in compliance with Title IX.

Or someone uses this to challenge Title IX, and good luck with that.

It will soon come to a head whether athletic programs exist to augment the educational experience of university students, or whether they exist to make money.

Good luck with that.

 

[upstater]

We will pay and so will the rest of the Big East.

No, if you can't tell the UConn president is already at the end of her rope when she slams the legislature and governor, I don't know what to tell you. 15% cutbacks when you're expanding athletics by 30% isn't going to cut it. 15% cutbacks damage the educational mission.

 

[upstater]

The 20 million number is probably a salary cap for the power schools. I doubt schools who do not have football and have no football revenue are going to be forced to give 20 million to their athletes. At the end of the day "revenue sharing" should be based on a percentage of sports revenue per school not an artificial mandatory number.

Yes, this is how it works. You don't HAVE to pay $20m. It's a cap.

But that's $20m those schools will be able to use relative to UConn

 

[metsfan2323]

Yes, this is how it works. You don't HAVE to pay $20m. It's a cap.

But that's $20m those schools will be able to use relative to UConn

And most of that money will go to the P5 football teams. Maybe this somehow kills off UConn football, but I don't see it killing UConn basketball or the Big East conference.

 

[How Sway?!]

I think we're about to see a very big correction on coaches salaries and support staff, especially at the top SEC and B1G schools.

 

[aburks41]

Yes, this is how it works. You don't HAVE to pay $20m. It's a cap.

But that's $20m those schools will be able to use relative to UConn

Then we need to hope that Title IX makes them spread it equally amongst all athletes so we aren’t looking at a $5M+ hole in basketball spending before NIL even kicks in

 

[upstater]

Per the article, there are two lawsuits happening at the same time that this “settlement” would hope to address:

One from previous collegiate athletes who are suing the NCAA for lost wages due to being unable to monetize their Name, Image, Likeness while in school

One suing the NCAA stating that schools should be able to pay their athletes directly for performance in the form of revenue sharing for revenues earned by the schools from the athlete’s games and performances.


In order to settle the first lawsuit for lost wages, member institutions of the NCAA will be on the hook for payouts to former athletes totaling over $4B. In order to settle the second lawsuit, they are looking to institute this $20M annual “cap” allowing schools to directly pay their players in the form of sharing incoming revenues (ticket sales, TV money, etc) with them.

Nowhere in the article does it state that all NIL related payments would come in house and/or that because the schools will provide revenue sharing with their athletes, that they cannot earn outside NIL monies.

Ultimately where I think this will wind up is two fold, schools who contribute to the $4B settlement with former athletes will wind up forming a “new” division within division one. These schools will likely be your large football schools + other P5’s willing and able to contribute. Then, that division (and potentially others outside of it) will share revenues generated through activities such as ticket sales and TV money with their athletes at $20M annually. Those athletes will then also earn in addition to the $20M revenue share whatever “outside” NIL money they are able to earn from collectives, autographs, appearances, etc.

TLDR: Some schools will have to pay lots of money to former athletes to settle lawsuit 1. Schools that contribute to that settlement will form new NCAA Division. New NCAA Division will share revenue with athletes In addition to collective and appearance based NIL. In order to afford all of that, school must be very rich. UConn not rich. Therefore bad for us.

It really is time for antitrust lawsuits.

No school dared do it before because they were being dripfed by the current structures, but now we are at the point where a total break is about to occur.

 

[Drew]

And most of that money will go to the P5 football teams. Maybe this somehow kills off UConn football, but I don't see it killing UConn basketball or the Big East conference.

It’s important to remember whatever this revenue sharing model shakes out to in the beginning is not what it will be forever

Revenue sharing for athletes long term is a disaster for us at our current revenue levels. The percentages and dollar amounts in the long term will only get larger

 

[Drew]

Then we need to hope that Title IX makes them spread it equally amongst all athletes so we aren’t looking at a $5M+ hole in basketball spending before NIL even kicks in

And they’re already pushing for it to be the “number” of athletes not the dollar amounts per the below from Ross Dellenger:



Basically, schools want to say “yeah we paid 100 mens athletes and 100 womens athletes so we’re in compliance of Title IX” even though the dollar amounts will be $19.5M for men and $0.5M for women or whatever.

 

[upstater]

Then we need to hope that Title IX makes them spread it equally amongst all athletes so we aren’t looking at a $5M+ hole in basketball spending before NIL even kicks in

It's all madness really.

If it's spread among Title IX we're looking at regular students incurring $1k charges in support of fellow students in sports making good money. $4k over the span of their college careers. At a time when universities are shedding faculty, not hiring, shutting down majors. The whole situation is untenable.

Go pro, that's my advice. Take your revenue and pay your employees. Cleave it from university finances.

 

[upstater]

And they’re already pushing for it to be the “number” of athletes not the dollar amounts per the below from Ross Dellenger:



Basically, schools want to say “yeah we paid 100 mens athletes and 100 womens athletes so we’re in compliance of Title IX” even though the dollar amounts will be $19.5M for men and $0.5M for women or whatever.

Poor legal arguments there.

 

[Drew]

Poor legal arguments there.

The argument will likely stem from the fact that the existing enforcement of the rule is measured by number of scholarships awarded to athletes on campuses not the dollar value of those scholarships (no clue if that will work or not)

 

[superjohn]

Title IX says hello.

The Supreme Court is already going to weigh in on Title IX and it has nothing to do with this.

 

[How Sway?!]

The argument will likely stem from the fact that the existing enforcement of the rule is measured by number of scholarships awarded to athletes on campuses not the dollar value of those scholarships (no clue if that will work or not)

It only works that way because the scholarship has the same value regardless of gender. What you're suggesting wouldn't pass a court challenge

 

[Drew]

It only works that way because the scholarship has the same value regardless of gender. What you're suggesting wouldn't pass a court challenge

Not all scholarships are full rides though, plenty (almost all) of our non-revenue athletes pay some amount of tuition to go to school at UConn

 

[rman726]

And they’re already pushing for it to be the “number” of athletes not the dollar amounts per the below from Ross Dellenger:



Basically, schools want to say “yeah we paid 100 mens athletes and 100 womens athletes so we’re in compliance of Title IX” even though the dollar amounts will be $19.5M for men and $0.5M for women or whatever.

Good luck to whoever has to argue that they are in compliance in front of a judge who doesn’t give two $#%& about sports.

 

[Rowdy831]

When it comes to money and paying people the masses have math issues that prevent them from realizing just how much money is needed to even pay a little to every athlete. This model and any other is eventually going to kill the smaller universities where money is already a major problem.

Take UConn for an example. They are arguably the top program right now in Men's and Women's basketball and they don't make money in their athletic department. How does a school that isn't the top of their sport expected to even come close to having money to pay athletes? Most decisions made by governments have unintended consequences and this one will have some very big ones.

 

[Hurleyman216]

I'm not sure how something like this would pass if ALL division 1 universities have a vote or a say in the matter. Seems like the beginning of the end of the NCAA to me. If they push something down that benefits the top 25 programs while killing the other 300, then it's the end of the NCAA. It's essentially the same as the Big/SEC just splitting off and making their own organization. The only thing we have going for us is we're a state school and this line item loss for athletics would likely just get soaked up by the state of CT if we decide we still want to be involved in major college/"pro" sports.

I also think NIL is at least a semi-fair way to compensate players. For most sports outside of basketball and football the athletes have an NIL value of $0. No one knows or cares who they are and they get paid via a free tuition. This whole concept of having to compensate some 3rd string field hockey player from 2016 for NIL that they didn’t get is nonsense. If these other non-revenue sports athletes want to be “fairly compensated” then they’ll have to start paying most of their tuition themselves, because that’s their real value.

 

[king conn]

If UConn decides to pay the 20 million that's one thing. And how do you get top recruits if you don't.

But will these small private schools in the Big East be able to afford to? Seton Hall? Providence? This league that everyone says we need will be picking up scraps for recruits. What would that do to us? We'd be playing in a localized AAC. What then?

 

[hoopsfan22]

Title IX says hello.

Not if the student-athletes are no longer student-athletes which is where this is ultimately heading.

 

[Scrutineer]

I don’t think that we make enough profits to have any to share with the our 600+ athletes. We aren’t required to spend $20M. That’s just the cap.

The big schools have upwards of 1000+ athletes. They won’t be able to get away with paying only football and basketball. They will get on by the women in the courts if they try. A cap of $20 million will result in peanuts for 1000 athletes. I don’t see how them paying $33k on top of NIL is going to kill us based on the fact that we are clearly competing with the big boys on NIL.

Change happens. In the end, we’ll probably survive just like we always do.

As to the women's issue, my guess is that's why the B1G and SEC have made it about "revenue" sharing. Separation of sources allows the sharing of revenue to be focused on those competing in the sport from which it was generated.

For example, if there's only $10,000 in annual ticket sales and $15,000 in revenue from selling jerseys and hats for women's hockey, they'll get a percentage of that revenue, not the $60,000,000 from football.

 

[shizzle787]

UConn going to one bowl game in 8 years and winning the NCAA Tournament The last two years has zero bearing on what is coming in the future of college athletics. You are conflating results of on field competition with legal litigation and future financial requirements. They are two completely separate things- Everyone has been talking for multiple years now about the new financial realities that will be required in order to compete at the highest level. That is now coming to light.

You claim that the Big East teams will all pay this money. $20M added costs annually is going to be an increase of anywhere from 40-60% of these schools’ existing budgets. You can’t just pull that out of a hat and good luck essentially taxing students through added fees who are taking out loans to pay for college so that the schools can eventually try to pay that money directly to their classmates. Surely that would go over great.

“Revenue sharing isn’t going to happen” - absolutely no idea how you can read anything in the article linked and come to that conclusion. The entire article is about how that is expected to happen.

”Schools will be forced to pay players directly within 5 years”. So…….. sharing the revenue they generate with the players then. And how do you think it will go when schools bringing in $100M+ annually are paying athletes directly on top of collective compensation and other NIL opportunities?

This is a massive problem for the university. They have no money. Zero. Pretending like adding more liabilities to UConn’s balance sheet without increasing revenues somehow isn’t an issue for us is laughable. And if you somehow think the state legislature is going to randomly vote to allot $20M annually to UConn’s athletic department to do this while we have been asked to cut our overall budget over the last 3 years, then you’re even dumber than I thought.

BE schools don’t have football so they won’t be paying $20 million. It will be closer to $10 million.

 

[auror]

Yeah if athletes become employees, it would likely drastically alter how Title IX affects them, if at all (other than being responsible reports and the like).

 

[upstater]

Anyone who knows me in person knows I am ruthless with money. I’m better with money than 99% on the board.

You are like the boy who cries wolf. Every change in college athletics you hide under the covers thinking UConn is done. Yet we just won two more basketball titles, made a bowl game in 2022, and outbid Kentucky for a couple huge recruits. Broke schools don’t outbid SEC schools.

I’m well aware of our on paper deficit.

This revenue sharing thing isn’t going to happen. Schools will be forced to pay players directly within 5 years.

If it's a paper deficit, then why are they degrading the educational mission? That makes no sense.

 

[upstater]

Not all scholarships are full rides though, plenty (almost all) of our non-revenue athletes pay some amount of tuition to go to school at UConn

The value of the scholarships has to be equal though. If you get a half scholarship, it doesn't count as a full one for Title IX purposes.

 

[Hurleyman216]

As to the women's issue, my guess is that's why the B1G and SEC have made it about "revenue" sharing. Separation of sources allows the sharing of revenue to be focused on those competing in the sport from which it was generated.

For example, if there's only $10,000 in annual ticket sales and $15,000 in revenue from selling jerseys and hats for women's hockey, they'll get a percentage of that revenue, not the $60,000,000 from football.

Sure, but if there are 20 players on the women’s hockey team each getting $35-40K/year in tuition and room and board compensated for them then the school is spending $800,000 to field that team which only brings in $25,000 in your scenario. So, they’re losing the University $775K/year and now the players think they need a share in the $25K of revenue the university recoups? It’s total nonsense. It’s the exact equivalent of a company that generates $1 billion in revenue having their 20,000 employees come to them and say “we want our split of the $1 billion of revenue”. The answer is also the same: Get lost!

 

[gtcam]

Nope, we would just drop football and other sports and basketball would still be a Big East powerhouse. We are full steam ahead for a legendary 3peat and the women are winning a title next year too.

Basketball is a great spectator sport and very important at UConn but simply doesn't generate top money. UConn screwed up years ago when they were in the AAC, a decent football conference, and kept hiring the inept football HCs that created the post OBE UConn football collapse. Drop football and UConn looks like a huge Gtown/Seton Hall/PC. No thanks.
The SEC, B1G and NIL is ruining amateur college sports. Not only do the athletes get a free education but ridiculous money for NIL. Take the cost of education out of the NIL - they are earning an income so they should be paying for a product/service - like the rest of us. Receiving student loans on top of that and who pays for that when idiots decide its a good thing to forgive the balances?
Work/study programs - are they still around?
The folks in charge of the NCAA, the university presidents and decision makers are all a reflection of the philosophies that are chewing up everything in this country.
Simply dropping sports besides basketball is not the answer. Baseball, soccer, field hockey, polo, ice hockey, track and field and yes, even football have experienced success at UConn and have been full of 4 year dedicated student athletes.

State income tax $10/year surcharge for each of the state’s 2 million taxpayers.
Sounds simple and easy. $10 here $10 there - yeah we don't pay enough in this state. It's not the amount, it's the principle. Once a tax like this is shoveled at the people the bigger the shovel becomes for those in the state legislature.

 

[3rdbass]

Basketball is a great spectator sport and very important at UConn but simply doesn't generate top money. UConn screwed up years ago when they were in the AAC, a decent football conference, and kept hiring the inept football HCs that created the post OBE UConn football collapse. Drop football and UConn looks like a huge Gtown/Seton Hall/PC. No thanks.
The SEC, B1G and NIL is ruining amateur college sports. Not only do the athletes get a free education but ridiculous money for NIL. Take the cost of education out of the NIL - they are earning an income so they should be paying for a product/service - like the rest of us. Receiving student loans on top of that and who pays for that when idiots decide its a good thing to forgive the balances?
Work/study programs - are they still around?
The folks in charge of the NCAA, the university presidents and decision makers are all a reflection of the philosophies that are chewing up everything in this country.
Simply dropping sports besides basketball is not the answer. Baseball, soccer, field hockey, polo, ice hockey, track and field and yes, even football have experienced success at UConn and have been full of 4 year dedicated student athletes.

State income tax $10/year surcharge for each of the state’s 2 million taxpayers.
Sounds simple and easy. $10 here $10 there - yeah we don't pay enough in this state. It's not the amount, it's the principle. Once a tax like this is shoveled at the people the bigger the shovel becomes for those in the state legislature.

Football was dead once we couldn't get into the ACC a long time ago. It is just on life support now.

 

[gtcam]

Football was dead once we couldn't get into the ACC a long time ago. It is just on life support now.

It could have survived in the AAC if there was adequate leadership in the coaching ranks. Not saying at all that UConn should have remained in the AAC but being competitive in football has paid dividends to some of the AAC schools.