A judge granted preliminary approval Monday to the that would by allowing schools to pay players.
U.S District Judge Claudia Wilken released an order setting a timeline for a deal that would put millions of dollars into the pockets of college athletes, who can begin making claims later this month.
A final hearing is set for April 7, 2025. If finalized, the deal would allow the biggest schools to have a pool of about $21.5 million in the first year to distribute to athletes via a revenue-sharing plan, but the athletes would still be able to cut name, image and likeness deals with outside groups.
鈥淲e are pleased that we are one step closer to a revolutionary change in college athletics that will allow billions in revenue sharing,鈥� said plaintiff attorney Steve Berman.
The judge鈥檚 approval comes 11 days after attorneys agreement to address Wilken鈥檚 concerns. The main change involved getting rid of the word 鈥渂oosters鈥� and replacing it with a better-defined description of whose potential NIL deals would be subject to oversight by a neutral arbitrator once the deal goes through.
That did not, however, strike to the heart of the settlement, which sets up a revenue-sharing arrangement between schools and the athletes. The $21.5 million figure comes from the 22% of average revenue that power conference schools generate through media rights, tickets and other sources. It will be recalculated periodically through the 10-year window the agreement covers.
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AP college football: and
Eddie Pells, The Associated Press
