Mizzou AD Laird Veatch Reacts to House v. NCAA Settlement

The aftermath of the recent passing of the NCAA v. House Settlement has set off another set of dominoes for college athletics programs to adjust to.

For Missouri, led by athletics director Laird Veatch, the program is hoping not only to adjust properly, but use the new structure as an opportunity to propel forward.

Over the last five years, Missouri has used the NIL space to its advantage, being able to turnaround its football, men's basketball, volleyball and other programs in large part thanks to embracing NIL opportunities and legislation.

"At Mizzou, we see this moment as an opportunity," Veatch wrote in a letter to fans posted Sunday. This is a pivotal time to reaffirm our commitment to invest in what drives competitive success and embrace the innovation that's necessary for us to thrive at the highest level."

Now, with the passing of the settlement, schools will be able to directly pay players for their performance with revenue sharing. The athletics administration has been acting in preparation for these changes for quite some time leading up to the official passing of the settlement.

"Our Mizzou Athletics staff has spent the past year preparing for this outcome," Veatch wrote. "While we recognize the operational shifts this requires, we are approaching the new era with a sense of purpose and optimism."

Missouri has committed to the full $20.5 million cap of revenue that programs will be allowed to share with players.

One of the top questions for the administration to figure out though will be how to divide that money up between sports. A large majority of that will be devoted to football and men's basketball.

In anticipation of the ability to share revenue, Missouri raised prices for football tickets by at least 50% in nearly all sections for the 2025 season. Revenue from football ticket sales is also expected to rise starting in the 2026 season, with the ongoing Memorial Stadium Centennial Project adding up to 51 new suites to the stadium, and raising capacity by nearly 3,000 seats starting next year.

The hope for the program is that this investment into the stadium will lead to more revenue in the long run, meaning more investment on the field across all sports.

"This new model allows us to provide even greater opportunities for our student-athletes to benefit financially," Veatch wrote. "Student-athletes around the country will know that Mizzou welcomes this evolution. Our commitment includes more than 60 new scholarships totaling approximately $3 million for next year."

Schools can share revenue with players beginning July 1. Student athletes will still be allowed to earn profit from NIL deals outside of the university, but agreements over $600 will now need to be reported and reviewed by a clearinghouse called NIL Go.