NCAA to Hand Over NIL Enforcement to Power Conferences

In a seismic shift for college athletics, NCAA President Charlie Baker confirmed Tuesday that if the House v. NCAA settlement is approved, the NCAA will no longer enforce rules surrounding player compensation.

According to a report from Front Office Sports’ Amando Christovich, the Power Four conferences—SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12—will enforce the proposed athlete compensation model, including revenue-sharing caps and the regulation of NIL collective deals.

Baker’s comments, made at a Knight Commission event in Indianapolis, serve as a formal passing of the baton as the NCAA prepares to exit the amateurism enforcement business.

The House settlement, still pending final approval from Judge Claudia Wilken, includes $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes and opens the door for schools to share up to $20.5 million annually with athletes. It also establishes a third-party clearinghouse—nicknamed “NIL Go”—to monitor NIL deals for market value and pay-for-play violations.

That clearinghouse will be run by Deloitte but governed by a newly formed “College Sports Commission,” created and overseen by the Power Four—not the NCAA. This commission will also adjudicate rule violations through a binding arbitration process, not open court.

However, while the NCAA escapes direct legal exposure, as the burden will now fall on the conferences, leaving antitrust lawsuits, which have dogged the NCAA for decades, to soon become targeted at the leagues themselves.

The Power Four have already circulated a “membership agreement” requiring schools to abide by the settlement terms and waive their right to sue. Some athletic departments are calling it a legal landmine.

“There’s a general consensus that it’s a mess—and going to keep me busy,” said attorney Darren Heitner.

The decision signals a fundamental realignment: the NCAA keeps control of eligibility and championships, while the Power Four effectively becomes college sports’ new regulatory authority. Whether they succeed where the NCAA failed remains to be seen, but July 1, the proposed launch date, is coming fast.