ATHENS — Watching the scoreboard is one thing, but sorting out legal minutiae is another for most college football fans.
And yet, recent reports from ESPN indicate that the sport may be about to take the next step in what has become a “Wild Wild West” of NIL negotiations and legislation.
The NCAA’s national office could end up paying a settlement that ESPN estimates is worth $2.7 billion as a result of a “House v.
The ESPN article cites Steve Herman, who is the co-lead attorney in the case against the NCAA, as bringing a sense of urgency to a settlement.
“Our advantage is a big cannonball rolling down the hill and gaining speed,” Berman said in the ESPN article written by Pete Thamel and Dan Murphy. “The longer they wait, the more they will have to pay. It’s that simple.”
The agreement would provide retroactive pay to former players – within the last 10 years – who failed to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness.
Additionally, ESPN reports, the agreement would stipulate that collegiate conferences and schools commit to sharing revenue with players in the future.
Yet another facet is the hope for a system that eliminates the need for or cause of future lawsuits.
A deal in this case could provide structure if Congress helped college athletics develop a kind of collective bargaining agreement — similar to professional sports.
ESPN cited a source who doubled down on the need for the settlement to provide such guardrails to protect college athletics from future litigation.
“You can’t just settle lawsuits,” according to industry source ESPN. “You need to be able to get something in return in addition to the deal.
“If you don’t have the capacity to structure the future, all we’re going to do is shake hands and wait five minutes for the next order. You don’t want to be waiting for the next process here.”
The collegial system is certainly tuned in and hopeful that a collective bargaining agreement can emerge from the pending process/agreement.
The concept of NIL negotiations and collectives being brought “in-house” to programs could allow for contracts that stipulate player participation throughout the season.
It has become well documented that several top players have chosen not to play in non-CFP bowl games to protect their professional interests.
Georgia beat Florida State 63-3 in the most notable case, as the Bulldogs’ star players chose to play with each other, while a transfer-heavy Seminoles team had elite players choosing not to compete for themselves or for your school.
Fiesta Bowl executive director and CEO Erik Moses explained to ESPN the importance of player participation.
“We host live events, (and) you come see the talent,” Moses told ESPN’s Heather Dinich. “If the main talent isn’t there – you go see the Stones and Mick Jagger isn’t playing, are you really seeing the Stones?
“We want the best talent to be involved in these clashes, games and events. That’s what people are paying to see.”
The expansion of the college football playoffs should mitigate some of the exclusion issues, as the playoff field will grow from four to 12 teams over the next two seasons.
There is speculation that the CFP field could expand to 14 teams in 2026 after the current contract ends, further altering what was once seen as the most traditional sport in college athletics.
Kirby Smart, who recently became the highest-paid coach in college football history with a $13 million salary, noted that it’s time for the program’s leadership to work together.
“The current culture in college athletics is constantly changing,” Smart said, “and as challenging as it has ever been.”
College football fans feeling the earth shifting beneath them once again this off-season would certainly agree.
