All Division I athletes dating back to 2016 are eligible to receive a share as part of the settlement class. In exchange, athletes cannot sue the NCAA for other potential antitrust violations and drop their complaints in three open cases -- House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA.
The settlement terms must be approved by Judge Claudia Wilken, who is presiding over all three cases. That process is expected to take several months, and sources said schools likely will begin sharing revenue in fall 2025. The NCAA's Board of Governors and leaders from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12 voted to accept the general terms laid out in a 13-page document.
The settlement terms provide a 10-year window to fully pay out the $2.7 billion. Berman said each player in the class will get an annual check worth 10% of the money they are owed. He said Wilken will approve how much money will go toward attorneys' fees.
Several athletic directors told ESPN that they are hopeful the settlement lays the groundwork for a system where success on the field is less dependent on which schools can spend the most money. Sources said some of the challenges to solve include figuring out how to distribute the revenue share money in a way that meets market needs while complying with Title IX laws and if schools can regain control of the marketplace for college athletes, which has been outsourced during the last three years to a group of booster collectives, who pay athletes via name, image and likeness endorsement deals.