ADVERTISEMENT

UR opts in to House settlement, will only pay hoops players

In the early 90s we had the issue of when the basketball floor had to be put down. The hardwood was not a permanent fixture apparently.

Once it was put down no events could be had in the RC until it was taken back up. Getting anything approved was a big deal.
 
"A revised settlement allows schools to temporarily exceed the roster limits until the eligibility expires for players already on a roster."

Answers questions about current WO's.
 
With the house settlement being passed yesterday were the guys we recruited to come in this year as transfers going in with the expectation we will be paying them directly from the school? If not, and the first class who will benefit from the house settlement is 2026 HS or transfers next year, I really hope we see an upswing with recruiting. We need to be giving $2 million to our team a year at minimum. Hopefully with NIL, our team has close to $3 million a year to operate with.
 
Has or when will Hardt tell us where we and other schools our size stand?
I highly doubt UR will publicize that information but I’m sure word will get out one way or another. Bernadette said A10 needs to be putting between $2-3 million per year. Given our history of being in the top 3rd of programs resources wise in the conference, I am confident we will fall in that range.
 
I read the house settlement is retroactive back to 2016. anyone know how that works? are we writing checks to everyone that played since then?
 
That's what the $2.8 billion is going toward. Believe the distribution plan has yet to be finalized, but institutions won't have say in how it gets divided and almost all of the money (~95%) will go to P5 football and hoops players, even though the little guys like us are paying a good chunk (60% of the $1.6 billion coming from member institutions) of the money.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: urfan1
I highly doubt UR will publicize that information but I’m sure word will get out one way or another. Bernadette said A10 needs to be putting between $2-3 million per year. Given our history of being in the top 3rd of programs resources wise in the conference, I am confident we will fall in that range.
I hope your right, I just have a hard time believing UR will be in the top int he A10 in this area. I would expect we start out with 1 to 1.5 million and try to feel out what other schools in our league are doing. Don't do enough to be the top school, and don't do nothing to be the bottom. Remember - we just want to "compete" and be "sensible" when it comes to paying athletes. That doesn't scream top of the league to me.
 
That's what the $2.8 billion is going toward. Believe the distribution plan has yet to be finalized, but institutions won't have say in how it gets divided and almost all of the money (~95%) will go to P5 football and hoops players, even though the little guys like us are paying a good chunk (60% of the $1.6 billion coming from member institutions) of the money.
so every player gets the same check ... I assume per year played in this period? would it include guys from the last couple years who already did get NIL?
 
There are several different funds involved, but the main piece ($1.8 billion of the $2 billion NIL portion of the settlement) is strict back NIL, and distribution depends on which sport they played, which conference they were in, and which years they played. (There are smaller bits to cover video game NIL, as well as lost third-party NIL for those whose careers spanned the 2021 NCAA approval of third-party NIL.)

Check out the tables at the end of this document (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ncaa/legal/NCAALEG_Settlement-July2024.pdf)

A-10 men's hoops players will need to file claims and will receive an average of $2,400. A-10 women's hoops players and players in other sports will receive an average of $50.

Meanwhile, P5 football and men's hoops players are expected to receive an average of $91,000 (range of $15,000 to $280,000) in back NIL, with most of them also eligible for additional compensation averaging $40,000, as well as $300 to $4,000 in video game usage payments. Players who careers spanned the third-party NIL approval will receive an average of $17,000 (ranging from $0 to $800,000) over lost opportunities.
 
  • Like
Reactions: spiderman
The NCAA is establishing the College Sports Commission to oversee NIL stuff, and any payments of $600 or more that athletes receive outside of the school payments must be reported to the commission and have to be legitimately business-related. This seems good to me on the one hand, since it will prevent random rich boosters from offering millions of dollars to get players.

On the other hand, those donors will now just go back to donating to the schools, who then can make those payments if they want. Or I guess they will just say "I'm paying this kid $5 million to appear in some ads for my company." Unclear if something like that will pass the smell test with this commission or even if there will be any real penalties for things that don't.

Since schools are limited to $20.5 million a year, I think this could level the playing field at least a little bit, especially as it relates to basketball from our perspective. The kids who will be getting big $$ payouts from P5 schools are not kids we could recruit anyway. And those schools have to pay football players, so the P5 basketball guys who are fringe starters there might actually be able to get more $$ from a school like UR that is prioritizing them.

 
The NCAA is establishing the College Sports Commission to oversee NIL stuff, and any payments of $600 or more that athletes receive outside of the school payments must be reported to the commission and have to be legitimately business-related. This seems good to me on the one hand, since it will prevent random rich boosters from offering millions of dollars to get players.

On the other hand, those donors will now just go back to donating to the schools, who then can make those payments if they want. Or I guess they will just say "I'm paying this kid $5 million to appear in some ads for my company." Unclear if something like that will pass the smell test with this commission or even if there will be any real penalties for things that don't.

Since schools are limited to $20.5 million a year, I think this could level the playing field at least a little bit, especially as it relates to basketball from our perspective. The kids who will be getting big $$ payouts from P5 schools are not kids we could recruit anyway. And those schools have to pay football players, so the P5 basketball guys who are fringe starters there might actually be able to get more $$ from a school like UR that is prioritizing them.

I don't think this changes anything and I think it stills is a way for boosters to provide money to athletes on top of the school payments. All that changes is that it will be publicized, and I can see some P5 schools seeing this as a good thing to show their players are getting paid not only by the school - but also outside as well. Like you said - these donors just need to provide a business relation, which I think will be easy to prove.

I guess the real question would be - does this eliminate the collectives? My understanding is that it does not, with the caveat being these deals have to be disclosed and I believe have to go through a clearinghouse of some sort for review of business reason. But I don't think the clearinghouse can stop a collective from paying a kid $1 million dollars to appear in some ads for the collective, attend some dinners to speak to donors, and show up at some local elementary schools to speak to kids about education and sports. And I could see some schools seeing this as an advantage of disclosing the amounts to attract more players in the portal.
 
I believe I read the clearinghouse will set standards/averages for activities, eg. voice, video, appearance, etc. Any payment above will need to be approved.
 
Cheaters going to cheat. Nothing is going to limit the actual spending other than these donors getting tired of throwing away money, which apparently can’t happen.

I don’t see this as a good thing for college sports as a whole at all. It is only good for a relatively small number of players and the small schools have to foot the majority of the bill for “past indiscretions”, which is also crazy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: whampas and urfan1
This will only make the richer get richer, and the little guys, including most mid-majors will suffer. I think you will likely see the last of the Cinderella making it to the final four or maybe even Elite 8. Reason being - the P5 programs will eat up all the talent with the money they have to spend each year, which is something the mid-majors and below can't compete with. And while you might get lucky and get a good team one year of guys transferring down from P5 or moving up from lower ranks - if they do well, they will move on again to more money and P5 programs. Also - mid-majors usually had the advantage with experience. A mid-major team of seniors who have played together for 2-3 years against a P5 team of newcomer frosh and sophs, was sometimes an equalizer - but those years are long gone of keeping players together that long at one school.
 
agreed that the high major teams will get older, and thus better.
but as for the P5's eating up all the talent ... they always did. there was never any attempt at competitive balance. the high majors always took the pick of the litter.

allowing payments actually gives the URs of the world a chance at a really good player if they want to spend at the high major level. most mid majors won't, but the option is there especially for teams not trying to compete financially for football players.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zeeter
They always took the best HS players. And schools like UR could stay with them, when we had a senior laden team that had experience and guys developed. That no longer happens.

Look at it this way - guys like Golden, Gilyard, Anderson, Cline, etc - they would have never played their Junior or Senior years at UR, cause the offers would have been too great to turn down at the bigger schools. A school like UR will just have to hope every once in a while they catch some good players moving up from lower conferences (or moving down from P5) and have a good year, and then expect after the good year - those kids to leave again for a better offer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Spiders4ever
No doubt that the best teams will just get better. I don’t see a mid-major out bidding a P5 team, but there will be mid-major players that decide to stay where they are comfortable and settle for a little less money. I am sure some will want to remain the big man on campus as compared to just another player on a loaded team.

Regardless, the net effect is the rich get richer. I am sure that there will be a physical separation at some point where there will be an actual exclusive high major league that mirrors the NBA with 30 teams. Then the rest can go back to something more similar to the old days.
 
No doubt that the best teams will just get better. I don’t see a mid-major out bidding a P5 team, but there will be mid-major players that decide to stay where they are comfortable and settle for a little less money. I am sure some will want to remain the big man on campus as compared to just another player on a loaded team.

Regardless, the net effect is the rich get richer. I am sure that there will be a physical separation at some point where there will be an actual exclusive high major league that mirrors the NBA with 30 teams. Then the rest can go back to something more similar to the old days.
I've been thinking of it as a 1A or 1AA type split.
 
No doubt that the best teams will just get better. I don’t see a mid-major out bidding a P5 team, but there will be mid-major players that decide to stay where they are comfortable and settle for a little less money. I am sure some will want to remain the big man on campus as compared to just another player on a loaded team.

Regardless, the net effect is the rich get richer. I am sure that there will be a physical separation at some point where there will be an actual exclusive high major league that mirrors the NBA with 30 teams. Then the rest can go back to something more similar to the old days.
I agree with the split - I think that will eventually happen, with Football being the driver and basketball riding shotgun. Will there be players who want to stay where they are for less money - possibly, but I see that as a very small number. You have to remember - you are talking about players that are not likely to make the NBA - or who on the outside looking in, so two factors at play while they are in college - 1) Make as much money as you can while you can 2) Moving up might help your NBA stock

Gilyard and Golden are good examples. Gilyard soph season, he finished with 16 points, nearly 3 steals and 5 assists a game and was 2nd team all A10 I believe. Golden was 15 points and nearly 7 rebounds and all A10 as well. At that point - they could likely see their is an outside shot at NBA for them, with Europe being a most likely track at that time. But with 2 years left - they could potentially move up, make considerable more money from a P5 school AND if they play well, improve their draft stock. If they stayed in A10, which they did - and put up similar numbers - they are in the same position, just with a smaller bank account. So from a financial perspective - it really doesn't make sense to stay put for players that have good seasons. Even if they move up and don't produce like they though they would - their bank account is bigger, and they still have European opportunities or even G-League on the table.

So to me - the bigger risk is staying put at your current school. Move up, take the money, get into the Power Leagues, which give better exposure and of course - be smart with the money you get. I mean - just looking at the last NBA draft of 2024. Of the 58 picks, here are the non P5 players drafted.

Holmes - Dayton
Dillon Jones - Weber State
Ajay Mitchell - UCSB
Enrique Freeman - Akron
Anton Watson - Gonzaga

So your chances are better if you play at a bigger name school to get drafted, which is the ultimate goal of all these guys. And like I said, if you don't get drafted, you can at least check your bank account and know your okay cause you likely secured a 6 figure payment in the meantime.
 
your chances are better if you play at a bigger name school to get drafted, which is the ultimate goal of all these guys.
I don’t think this is the case. If a player is an NBA level talent, he is going to be found wherever he plays. I don’t really follow the NBA, but I can’t think of a player where it was said if this guy had played for P5 school X, he would have been drafted. The P5 has more players drafted because those teams have nearly all the talent.

What is definitely currently true is that players that won’t make the NBA can make significantly more money by playing at a P5 school. But I don’t think that makes them happier and they could just as easily lose the extra money by making poor decisions. Seen plenty of examples of poor money management in the pro ranks.
 
What is definitely currently true is that players that won’t make the NBA can make significantly more money by playing at a P5 school. But I don’t think that makes them happier and they could just as easily lose the extra money by making poor decisions. Seen plenty of examples of poor money management in the pro ranks.
? the possibility that someone could lose money by making poor decisions isn't a rational reason to not accept more money. that's an unusual take.

personally, given the choice of trying to be happy with either more money or less money ... I'll take my chances with more money.
 
? the possibility that someone could lose money by making poor decisions isn't a rational reason to not accept more money. that's an unusual take.

personally, given the choice of trying to be happy with either more money or less money ... I'll take my chances with more money.
? Not sure how you made that leap as if the money is the only factor and further that I am saying not to take the extra cash because you could blow it. Happiness can be due to liking the situation you are in - the coaching staff and teammates, the friends and even professors you have, the fan base support, and status on campus. I am simply saying that the player isn’t automatically better off.
 
? Not sure how you made that leap as if the money is the only factor and further that I am saying not to take the extra cash because you could blow it. Happiness can be due to liking the situation you are in - the coaching staff and teammates, the friends and even professors you have, the fan base support, and status on campus. I am simply saying that the player isn’t automatically better off.
agreed ... some in a good happy situation won't and shouldn't leave just for more money.
but I don't understand why you consider that "they could just as easily lose the extra money by making poor decisions" as a factor in any way. that's not a factor for anyone in a job or life change.
 
? the possibility that someone could lose money by making poor decisions isn't a rational reason to not accept more money. that's an unusual take.

personally, given the choice of trying to be happy with either more money or less money ... I'll take my chances with more money.
For sure. But I think the point Native is making is that the grass is not always greener somewhere else. You could get more $$$ at a BCS school, but that does not mean, you will like your teammates, coaches, school, friends as much as your current situation. It does seem with all of the movement in the portal that many players are chasing $$$ over other things that should hold a lot of value.
 
  • Like
Reactions: urfan1
Another consequence of the decision to pay players, will be the elimination of non-revenue generating sports. And I don't think any school, P5 or lower is immune to that. With the payment of players - your asking to run college sports like a business. That is all well in a good, but then if each sport is a product, decisions will have to be made on which products to keep and fund and which to eliminate.

Are schools already supporting non-revenue sports - yes, but that gap is about to get bigger because instead of just funding your football program and basketball program, the only 2 sports who have a chance to make money - you also have to pay the players and find 15-20 million a dollars every single year to do so (if both football and basketball). There is no doubt down the road this will lead to cutting of sports - and I don't think it matters if your a P5 or a small school, it will happen on all levels.

Look at UR - one of the many reasons given as to why soccer and track were cut for lacrosse was money. They didn't want to add lacrosse and then have to add a womens sports and fund that for title IX reasons. But now - all of sudden, the University will be okay funding payments to basketball players, and then likely some trickle down into football and womens hoops. You don't think there is a chance, maybe 3-4 years down the road the school says - lets get rid of 2-3 sports, to make it easier financially to compete in the other sports.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT