Judge approves landmark college sports settlement
The corrupt system of denying payment to college athletes has officially ended.
On Friday, Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement of multiple antitrust class-action lawsuits that challenged the longstanding refusal of the NCAA and its members to compensate athletes.
Advertisement
The deal includes $2.8 billion in payments to players over the past 10 years along with payments to players moving forward.
This hardly ends the chaos currently consuming college sports. The major conferences have launched the College Sports Commission (which is different from the presidential commission that was under consideration for like a week) to regulate NIL collectives that have in many instances become pay-for-play programs.
Here's the problem. Any collective action by independent businesses that restrict the earning capacity of the athletes potentially creates a fresh antitrust problem.
Friday's settlement resolves (in theory) the manner in which the schools will directly compensate players. The NIL issue is separate.
Advertisement
And it should be open season, thanks to the American system of free enterprise. That's why the colleges want the federal government to throw them a lifeline with legislation that would include an antitrust exemption.
The only truly effective solution would come from creating a nationwide union and negotiating rules regarding key issues like compensation limits and transfer rights. With that, however, the players would have the ability to secure protections against, for instance, unlimited padded practices and a year-round schedule of intense workouts that leave the players with very little time to themselves — especially relative to pro athletes.
So the settlemen isn't the end. It's more like the end of the beginning, with plenty more work to be done.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
Fever balance scoring, rout Sky 79-52 without Caitlin Clark, coach Stephanie White
CHICAGO — Austin Kelly first met Stephanie White over a decade ago, when Kelly's future wife, Karima Christmas-Kelly, began playing for the Indiana Fever in 2012. Kelly would hang around the team and sometimes sit in on Fever practices. Occasionally, he would even take part in them as a practice player. Advertisement A lot has changed with the Fever since. And yet, for all that's different around the franchise — especially in the last two seasons as Indiana has evolved into the WNBA's most popular team — plenty has stayed the same. On Saturday night against the Chicago Sky, Kelly, an Indiana assistant coach, slid into the lead chair, serving as the Fever's acting head coach with White absent due to personal reasons. Christmas-Kelly, a fellow assistant on the Fever, was a few seats down on the bench. So too was another key member of Indiana's 2012 title-winning roster, Briann January, who, like Kelly, is also in her first season as a Fever assistant. 'We all got history,' Kelly said. Even without White, the trio has helped the Fever climb back to .500, as Indiana defeated Chicago, 79-52, in the first WNBA game played at the United Center. White was not Indiana's only notable absence, however. The Fever are now 2-2 in games without star guard Caitlin Clark, who could return as soon as Tuesday as she continues rehabbing her left quad strain. Aari McDonald pokes it free and cashes in with her third 3-pointer 🔥 — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 8, 2025 Despite the absences of Clark and White, Indiana's offense was efficient as the ball pinballed from player to player with the Fever recording 14 assists on its first 20 made field goals. They finished with 19 assists on 27 baskets, shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range. Four players finished in double figures for Indiana as its balanced cast of role players stepped up in the absence of its coach and star guard. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 17 points, Natasha Howard scored 13 and grabbed five rebounds, while Aari McDonald and Aliyah Boston scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Advertisement 'It's special,' Kelly said after the win. 'It's something I'll never forget. They did a hell of a job for 40 minutes of executing the game plan. And I thought when we had lulls, the communication out there was really good, they picked each other up when it was needed.' Chicago's production paled in comparison. The Sky had only six assists on 11 made field goals at halftime, as they trailed 41-28 at the break. Indiana's lead grew to 17 midway through the third quarter as Mitchell darted to the rim for another layup and two of her team-high 17 points. It ballooned to 29 after three quarters, and 30 early in the fourth quarter before Chicago chipped away. Saturday night was supposed to be a celebration inside United Center, as the Sky were playing in the home of the NBA's Chicago Bulls for the first time in franchise history in front of what was expected to be a Sky record crowd. But the tenor of the night, and perhaps Chicago's season, changed abruptly as veteran Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot suffered a knee injury at the 5:29 minute mark of the first quarter on a drive to the basket. Vandersloot, the franchise's all-time leading scorer who returned to Chicago this past offseason after two seasons with the New York Liberty, was carried off the floor, unable to put any weight on her right leg and did not return. The Sky's offense appeared to not recover either. "The sky is falling in Chicago!" DeWanna Bonner knocks down the three to put us up 24 in the third. — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 8, 2025 Kelly and White have worked together for a few seasons, first from 2019-2021, when Kelly was White's director of recruiting when she was the head coach at Vanderbilt. He was later on White's coaching staff during White's two seasons with the Connecticut Sun. 'We're prepared for this moment. I've worked for Steph a handful of years, and she wants to prepare all of her assistants to be head coaches,' Kelly said. 'And so she puts a lot on our plate, and she allows us to grow and be our own head coach in our areas.' Advertisement Kelly plays a critical role in Indiana's offensive success. Heading into Saturday's matchup, Indiana was No. 4 in offensive rating, even with its star guard missing the last four games. He has learned plenty from White and former Fever coach/general manager Lin Dunn. 'Keep it simple,' he said. 'Keeping it simple so your players are on the same page,' Everyone was aligned for the Fever on Saturday night. And now, as Indiana prepares for the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, with Clark and White's statuses both uncertain, the task will remain the same. (Photo of Natasha Howard: Daniel Bartel / Getty Images)
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Schefter Offers Gruesome Bills Prediction on James Cook
Schefter Offers Gruesome Bills Prediction on James Cook originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The business side of the NFL is heading the Buffalo Bills' offseason, with running back James Cook seeking a new contract as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Advertisement But there's a big problem. The Bills, through re-signing other stars this offseason, despite Cook stating first he wanted a new deal, having only $1.6 million in cap space per Over The Cap. James wasn't at OTAs, which is, of course, voluntary, but there have been little breadcrumbs laid out by Cook, seemingly voicing his discontent at the lack of movement on a new deal. Now, ESPN's Adam Schefter is discussing it all in his podcast, offering a rather grim view of the situation between Buffalo and Cook. 'It bears watching because you've got a guy who's unhappy with this contractual situation, who has basically disconnected himself from the organization, the city, put his house up for sale,' Schefter said. 'I don't think we'll be seeing him in Buffalo anytime soon, and again, the start of training camp will be the next critical moment. If they don't have a deal done there by then, does James Cook show up for training camp? Does he risk the penalties if he doesn't show up?" Buffalo Bills running back James Cook.© Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images That doesn't sound promising at all. Advertisement Buffalo's mandatory mini-camp will take place this week, and that will also serve as a test of Cook's mental state regarding his contract. Seen as one of the key offensive pieces for coordinator Joe Brady, this has the potential to get rather ugly the longer it goes without something being done. But Buffalo, barring some serious salary cap gymnastics, won't be able to get a deal done with the two-time Pro Bowler, and where that leaves Cook and the offense is unknown. And that isn't a good spot to be for a franchise aiming for Super Bowl glory. Related: Buffalo Coach Is 'Human Encyclopedia' Teaching Bills to Get Smarter Related: Bills Schedule Release Wish Is Prime-Time Revenge This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Report: Ratepayers will foot the bill for power transmission project
Jun. 7—MORGANTOWN — Depending on who you ask, NextEra's MidAtlantic Resiliency Link transmission project will either take advantage of West Virginia ratepayers and countryside to power up data centers in Virginia — or it'll be an economic boon to the Mountain State, generating hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions in tax revenue. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis is solidly in the former camp. In a May report compiled by Cathy Kunkel, "West Virginia Ratepayers Footing the Bill for Infrastructure Build Out, " the IEEFA makes the claim that two power transmission projects slated to run through West Virginia on their way to northern Virginia will cost West Virginia ratepayers more than $440 million over the next 40 years despite the demand being almost entirely attributable to data centers. A data center is a physical room, building or facility that houses IT infrastructure for building, running and delivering online applications and services, according to IBM. One of those projects, a billion-dollar transmission line that includes NextEra's MidAtlantic Resiliency Link, is looking at parts of Monongalia and Preston counties as a route for the 105-mile "major highway " of 500-kilovolt overhead transmission lines running from Greene County to Frederick County, Va. The project will require a 200-foot right of way along its entire length and terminate in northern Virginia, which already has the highest concentration of data centers in the world. The power-hungry facilities are being built at an increasingly rapid pace. According to the IEEFA, electricity demand across the 13-state territory under grid operator PJM Interconnection remained relatively flat for nearly two decades. That's changed in the last three years due almost exclusively to the rise of data centers. As of 2023, data centers accounted for more than one-quarter of the electricity consumption in the state of Virginia, based on data presented by IEEFA. One large data center, the report states, can draw as much power as a city. The think tank says the traditional method of cost allocation — spreading the cost of capital investments across the customer base — isn't equitable when capital improvements are being constructed to feed a single customer or a very small group of customers. "As this report explains in greater detail, traditional methods of cost allocation for major new transmission projects in PJM have not yet been reconsidered in light of the new challenges posed by data center demand growth." The Dominion Post reached out to NextEra with three questions: What benefit will West Virginians receive in exchange for the large transmission lines running through rural parts of the state ? What percentage of the power being pulled from Pennsylvania to Virginia will support data centers ? Will residential ratepayers end up subsidizing the construction of this project in any way ? "The MidAtlantic Resiliency Link is one of the transmission projects PJM selected to enhance grid reliability for customers locally and across the region, " NextEra replied in a statement. "While it's part of a regional solution, the local benefits are significant. The [MARL ] would create hundreds of construction and support jobs, which will, in turn, drive significant investment in the local economy, growing existing businesses and attracting new businesses. Importantly, West Virginia is projected to receive an estimated $150-$400 million in taxes over the 40-year life of this project, depending on the length and route of the final transmission line. The [MARL ] would help drive economic development throughout the state." But before any of that comes to pass, a route must be finalized. Some residents in Monongalia and Preston counties have started voicing concerns about the possibility of having the transmission lines run through or near their properties. Property owners in rural, wooded and farming areas fear they'll be forced to give up ground through eminent domain should their land fall in the chosen path. On May 29, the Preston County Commission passed a resolution opposing the MARL project as currently proposed and urging state and federal regulators, as well as NextEra, to halt development of the project through Preston County. Asked whether a similar resolution might come out of Monongalia County, Commissioner Sean Sikora said the commission is doing its due diligence and has reached out to Preston County for a copy of the resolution—but isn't ready to take any kind of public stance on the matter. NextEra has conducted a series of open house-style public meetings in recent weeks to discuss, among other things, the potential routes, and intends to make its choice known to the various state public service commissions this fall. According to the current timeline, the project is to be completed by the end of 2031.
