Judge Approves House Settlement; Nebraska AD Troy Dannen Issues Statement

"We look forward to implementing this historic settlement designed to bring stability, integrity and competitive balance to college athletics while increasing both scholarship and revenue opportunities for student-athletes in all sports," said Tony Petitti, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

"Approving the agreement reached by the NCAA, the defendant conferences and student-athletes in the settlement opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports," NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a letter. "This new framework that enables schools to provide direct financial benefits to student-athletes and establishes clear and specific rules to regulate third-party NIL agreements marks a huge step forward for college sports."

The financial portion of the settlement revolves around two main parties: former athletes to receive backpay and the current and future athletes to receive revenue-sharing. The former athletes will $2.8 billion in backpay from lost name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation.

Current and future athletes will receive a certain amount of revenue from schools. Each institution will be allowed to share a set amount - taking 22% of the average of certain power school revenues - with the athletes. In the first year, that cap amount is $20.5 million.

It is uncertain at this time how Nebraska intends to distribute that $20.5 million. Most schools are likely to spend the majority on football and men's basketball, with less than 10% remaining for the other teams on campus.

The settlement also includes roster limits. While football will have a 105-player roster limit in the future, Judge Claudia Wilken was swayed during arguments to allow for the grandfathering-in of athletes on existing teams or those who have been cut this year, as well as recruits who enrolled on the promise of a roster spot.

Schools will also be allowed to fund scholarships up to the roster limit. For football, that means an increase from 85 scholarships to potentially as many as 105.

Athletes can still receive additional financial deals through collectives, such as 1890. The money is now overseen by a new non-NCAA enforcement entity. Any third-party NIL deals of at least $600 must be approved by a Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse called NIL Go.

Further legal fallout from the settlement and resulting changes to collegiate athletics is expected.

Future roster limits for sponsored sports at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln are listed below, with the current scholarship limit and change in allowable scholarships.

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