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Urban Meyer Weighs in on House Settlement Ruling

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 3:17 PM ET

The Florida Gators had a surplus of talent come through the program during Urban Meyer's tenure as head coach.

Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow, Joe Haden and Carlos Dunlap are some of the names that graced the back of jerseys during that time. However, they were not able to be paid for their efforts.

Thanks to the recent House Settlement ruling, universities can now pay student-athletes directly and Meyer was all for it on a recent episode of "The Triple Option."

The ruling takes effect on July 1 and involves an antitrust settlement worth $2.8 billion. The Power 4 conferences must adhere to the settlement's rules, and the remaining ones can choose to opt in or out.

"It's right that we're here," Meyer said. "For so long, I mean, I'm looking at a man right here, Mark Ingram, the value he provided for that university was incredible. I mean, the amount of players I coached, throw dollar figures at Zeke, Nick Bosa, etc. Coaches got paid. Athletic departments generated all this wealth. I understand it, but just can't imagine we're here."

One of the players that Meyer recently had on his mind was Harvin. Meyer believed without hesitation that Harvin was the greatest college player of all time. From 2006-08, Harvin proved to be a problem in the receiving and running game.

Meyer also helped Tebow win the Heisman in 2007. In a previous episode of the podcast, Meyer revealed the Heisman race would affect his play calling.

Florida is now led by Billy Napier, who has been with the program since 2022. Napier just had his first winning season and bowl win in 2024, finishing with an 8-5 record.

The Gators open the 2025 season against Long Island on August 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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