Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko during warm ups before Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Jake Crandall/Montgomery Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas A&M Coach Frustrated With Lack of Clarity in Upcoming NCAA Settlement

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated May 27, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The impending House vs. NCAA settlement approval is expected to shake up NIL and college football in some significant ways. Everything from NIL salary caps to roster limits will be implemented in some fashion or another starting on July 1.

While many view this new framework in a largely positive light, some have voiced concerns over the expedited nature of the implementation and how the rules are, in essence, being switched around on programs in the middle of the offseason.

One prominent figure who falls into this category is Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko, who recently discussed his frustrations with the uncertainty surrounding the settlement implementation at the annual SEC spring meetings.

According to Outkick's Trey Wallace, Elko's frustrations primarily centered on the proposed $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap.

He compared it to the NFL model, noting that they would never suddenly decide to change their cap rules in the middle of the offseason.

“I couldn’t imagine an NFL team getting halfway through the offseason and deciding to change their salary cap rules,” Elko said. “That’s what I guess we’re doing.”

Elko's frustrations aren't entirely without merit, as nobody truly knows just how much these new regulations will change the college football landscape until they are actually put into place.

The salary cap is just one of many groundbreaking changes that could be implemented.

The new rule is set to allow athletic departments to pay their student-athletes directly, with a cap of $20.5 million to be split among each sport. Athletes will still be allowed to receive outside NIL endorsements, but these will now require approval from an independent clearing house.

Roster limits are also expected to be added to the sport, with each school allowed to have up to 105 athletes on their football roster each season, which is 20 more than the 85 scholarship limit the NCAA had been allowing up to this point.

It's clear that this new era of NIL is going to cause far more confusion than answers at the outset, but it's something Elko and every other coach will have to deal with.