Latest news with #BryanSeeley
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
College sports commissioners laud $2.8B antitrust settlement, call for Congress to act
Conference commissioners lauded a judge's approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement as a means for bringing stability and fairness to an out-of-control college athletics industry but acknowledged there would be growing pains in implementing its terms. In a 30-minute virtual news conference Monday, commissioners of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC renewed their call for congressional action to supplement and even codify the settlement and emphasized that cooperation at every level of college sports would be necessary to make it work. They said it was too early to address how violators of rules surrounding revenue sharing and name, image and likeness agreements would be punished and noted newly hired College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley would play a major role in determining penalties. The new era of college athletics has arrived after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval Friday night to what's known as House vs. NCAA. Beginning July 1, each school can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes and third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more will be analyzed to make sure they pay appropriate 'market value' for the services being provided by athletes. Some of the topics addressed Monday: Binding conferences to terms The conferences drafted a document that would bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws are contradictory. It would require schools to waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the CSC. It also would exempt the commission from lawsuits from member schools over enforcement decisions, instead offering arbitration as the main settlement option. Consequences for not signing the agreement would include risking the loss of league membership and participation against other teams from the Power Four conferences. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the document remains a work in progress but that he's gotten no pushback from his schools. 'I look to get that executed here in short order,' he said, "and know it will be very necessary for all the conferences to execute as well.' Directives on revenue sharing There has been no directive given to individual schools on how to determine the allocation of revenue-sharing payments, commissioners said. It's widely acknowledged that athletes in football and basketball are expected to receive the majority of the money. 'I know for all five of us no one is forgetting about their Olympic sports and continuing to make sure we've invested a high level for all of our sports,' ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. College Sports Commission CEO The commissioners said Seeley, as Major League Baseball executive vice president of legal and operations, was uniquely qualified to lead the CSC, which is charged with making sure schools adhere to the rules. 'Culture doesn't change overnight," Seeley told The Athletic over the weekend. "I don't expect that to happen overnight, but I do think that the schools that have signed on to the settlement want rules and want rules to be enforced. Otherwise they wouldn't have signed on to the settlement. I think student-athletes want a different system. So I think there is a desire for rules enforcement. There's a desire for transparency.' Sankey said Seeley is well-versed in areas of implementation, development and adjustment of rules and in NIL disputes requiring arbitration. Yormark said: 'You want people not to run away from a situation but to run to a situation. He ran here, and he's very passionate to make a difference and to course correct what's been going on in the industry.' Skepticism about enforcement Deloitte's 'NIL Go' program and LBI Software will track NIL deals and revenue-sharing contracts, and the commissioners shot down skepticism about the ability of those tools to enforce terms of the settlement. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said football and basketball coaches he spoke with in February were unanimous in wanting regulation. 'They have the responsibility to make what they asked for work,' he said. Congressional action NCAA President Charlie Baker has been pushing Congress for a limited antitrust exemption that would protect college sports from another series of lawsuits, and the commissioners want a uniform federal NIL law that would supersede wide-ranging state laws. 'We're not going to have Final Fours and College Football Playoffs and College World Series with 50 different standards,' Sankey said, 'so that's a starting point.' Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said the willingness of administrators to modernize the college athletics model should prompt federal lawmakers to move on codifying the settlement. Sankey's meeting with Trump Sankey confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that he and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua played golf with President Donald Trump on Sunday. Sankey said he appreciates Trump's interest in college sports and that it was helpful to share perspectives on the path forward. Trump reportedly considered a presidential commission on college sports earlier this year. Sankey declined to disclose details of their talks.
Fox Sports
7 hours ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
College sports commissioners laud $2.8B antitrust settlement, call for Congress to act
Associated Press Conference commissioners lauded a judge's approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement as a means for bringing stability and fairness to an out-of-control college athletics industry but acknowledged there would be growing pains in implementing its terms. In a 30-minute virtual news conference Monday, commissioners of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC renewed their call for congressional action to supplement and even codify the settlement and emphasized that cooperation at every level of college sports would be necessary to make it work. They said it was too early to address how violators of rules surrounding revenue sharing and name, image and likeness agreements would be punished and noted newly hired College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley would play a major role in determining penalties. The new era of college athletics has arrived after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval Friday night to what's known as House vs. NCAA. Beginning July 1, each school can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes and third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more will be analyzed to make sure they pay appropriate 'market value' for the services being provided by athletes. Some of the topics addressed Monday: Binding conferences to terms The conferences drafted a document that would bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws are contradictory. It would require schools to waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the CSC. It also would exempt the commission from lawsuits from member schools over enforcement decisions, instead offering arbitration as the main settlement option. Consequences for not signing the agreement would include risking the loss of league membership and participation against other teams from the Power Four conferences. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the document remains a work in progress but that he's gotten no pushback from his schools. 'I look to get that executed here in short order,' he said, "and know it will be very necessary for all the conferences to execute as well.' Directives on revenue sharing There has been no directive given to individual schools on how to determine the allocation of revenue-sharing payments, commissioners said. It's widely acknowledged that athletes in football and basketball are expected to receive the majority of the money. 'I know for all five of us no one is forgetting about their Olympic sports and continuing to make sure we've invested a high level for all of our sports,' ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. College Sports Commission CEO The commissioners said Seeley, as Major League Baseball executive vice president of legal and operations, was uniquely qualified to lead the CSC, which is charged with making sure schools adhere to the rules. 'Culture doesn't change overnight," Seeley told The Athletic over the weekend. "I don't expect that to happen overnight, but I do think that the schools that have signed on to the settlement want rules and want rules to be enforced. Otherwise they wouldn't have signed on to the settlement. I think student-athletes want a different system. So I think there is a desire for rules enforcement. There's a desire for transparency.' Sankey said Seeley is well-versed in areas of implementation, development and adjustment of rules and in NIL disputes requiring arbitration. Yormark said: 'You want people not to run away from a situation but to run to a situation. He ran here, and he's very passionate to make a difference and to course correct what's been going on in the industry.' Skepticism about enforcement Deloitte's 'NIL Go' program and LBI Software will track NIL deals and revenue-sharing contracts, and the commissioners shot down skepticism about the ability of those tools to enforce terms of the settlement. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said football and basketball coaches he spoke with in February were unanimous in wanting regulation. 'They have the responsibility to make what they asked for work,' he said. Congressional action NCAA President Charlie Baker has been pushing Congress for a limited antitrust exemption that would protect college sports from another series of lawsuits, and the commissioners want a uniform federal NIL law that would supersede wide-ranging state laws. 'We're not going to have Final Fours and College Football Playoffs and College World Series with 50 different standards,' Sankey said, 'so that's a starting point.' Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said the willingness of administrators to modernize the college athletics model should prompt federal lawmakers to move on codifying the settlement. Sankey's meeting with Trump Sankey confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that he and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua played golf with President Donald Trump on Sunday. Sankey said he appreciates Trump's interest in college sports and that it was helpful to share perspectives on the path forward. Trump reportedly considered a presidential commission on college sports earlier this year. Sankey declined to disclose details of their talks. 'I think those are best left for the moment on the golf course,' he said. ___ AP college sports: recommended in this topic
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
College sports commissioners laud $2.8B antitrust settlement, call for Congress to act
FILE - The NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis is seen on March 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) Conference commissioners lauded a judge's approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement as a means for bringing stability and fairness to an out-of-control college athletics industry but acknowledged there would be growing pains in implementing its terms. In a 30-minute virtual news conference Monday, commissioners of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC renewed their call for congressional action to supplement and even codify the settlement and emphasized that cooperation at every level of college sports would be necessary to make it work. Advertisement They said it was too early to address how violators of rules surrounding revenue sharing and name, image and likeness agreements would be punished and noted newly hired College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley would play a major role in determining penalties. The new era of college athletics has arrived after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval Friday night to what's known as House vs. NCAA. Beginning July 1, each school can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes and third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more will be analyzed to make sure they pay appropriate 'market value' for the services being provided by athletes. Some of the topics addressed Monday: Binding conferences to terms Advertisement The conferences drafted a document that would bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws are contradictory. It would require schools to waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the CSC. It also would exempt the commission from lawsuits from member schools over enforcement decisions, instead offering arbitration as the main settlement option. Consequences for not signing the agreement would include risking the loss of league membership and participation against other teams from the Power Four conferences. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the document remains a work in progress but that he's gotten no pushback from his schools. 'I look to get that executed here in short order,' he said, "and know it will be very necessary for all the conferences to execute as well.' Advertisement Directives on revenue sharing There has been no directive given to individual schools on how to determine the allocation of revenue-sharing payments, commissioners said. It's widely acknowledged that athletes in football and basketball are expected to receive the majority of the money. 'I know for all five of us no one is forgetting about their Olympic sports and continuing to make sure we've invested a high level for all of our sports,' ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. College Sports Commission CEO The commissioners said Seeley, as Major League Baseball executive vice president of legal and operations, was uniquely qualified to lead the CSC, which is charged with making sure schools adhere to the rules. Advertisement 'Culture doesn't change overnight," Seeley told The Athletic over the weekend. "I don't expect that to happen overnight, but I do think that the schools that have signed on to the settlement want rules and want rules to be enforced. Otherwise they wouldn't have signed on to the settlement. I think student-athletes want a different system. So I think there is a desire for rules enforcement. There's a desire for transparency.' Sankey said Seeley is well-versed in areas of implementation, development and adjustment of rules and in NIL disputes requiring arbitration. Yormark said: 'You want people not to run away from a situation but to run to a situation. He ran here, and he's very passionate to make a difference and to course correct what's been going on in the industry.' Skepticism about enforcement Advertisement Deloitte's 'NIL Go' program and LBI Software will track NIL deals and revenue-sharing contracts, and the commissioners shot down skepticism about the ability of those tools to enforce terms of the settlement. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said football and basketball coaches he spoke with in February were unanimous in wanting regulation. 'They have the responsibility to make what they asked for work,' he said. Congressional action NCAA President Charlie Baker has been pushing Congress for a limited antitrust exemption that would protect college sports from another series of lawsuits, and the commissioners want a uniform federal NIL law that would supersede wide-ranging state laws. Advertisement 'We're not going to have Final Fours and College Football Playoffs and College World Series with 50 different standards,' Sankey said, 'so that's a starting point.' Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said the willingness of administrators to modernize the college athletics model should prompt federal lawmakers to move on codifying the settlement. Sankey's meeting with Trump Sankey confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that he and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua played golf with President Donald Trump on Sunday. Sankey said he appreciates Trump's interest in college sports and that it was helpful to share perspectives on the path forward. Trump reportedly considered a presidential commission on college sports earlier this year. Sankey declined to disclose details of their talks. 'I think those are best left for the moment on the golf course,' he said. ___ AP college sports:
Associated Press
7 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
College sports commissioners laud $2.8B antitrust settlement, call for Congress to act
Conference commissioners lauded a judge's approval of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement as a means for bringing stability and fairness to an out-of-control college athletics industry but acknowledged there would be growing pains in implementing its terms. In a 30-minute virtual news conference Monday, commissioners of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC renewed their call for congressional action to supplement and even codify the settlement and emphasized that cooperation at every level of college sports would be necessary to make it work. They said it was too early to address how violators of rules surrounding revenue sharing and name, image and likeness agreements would be punished and noted newly hired College Sports Commission CEO Bryan Seeley would play a major role in determining penalties. The new era of college athletics has arrived after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval Friday night to what's known as House vs. NCAA. Beginning July 1, each school can share up to about $20.5 million with their athletes and third-party NIL deals worth $600 or more will be analyzed to make sure they pay appropriate 'market value' for the services being provided by athletes. Some of the topics addressed Monday: Binding conferences to terms The conferences drafted a document that would bind institutions to enforcement policies even if their state laws are contradictory. It would require schools to waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the CSC. It also would exempt the commission from lawsuits from member schools over enforcement decisions, instead offering arbitration as the main settlement option. Consequences for not signing the agreement would include risking the loss of league membership and participation against other teams from the Power Four conferences. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the document remains a work in progress but that he's gotten no pushback from his schools. 'I look to get that executed here in short order,' he said, 'and know it will be very necessary for all the conferences to execute as well.' Directives on revenue sharingThere has been no directive given to individual schools on how to determine the allocation of revenue-sharing payments, commissioners said. It's widely acknowledged that athletes in football and basketball are expected to receive the majority of the money. 'I know for all five of us no one is forgetting about their Olympic sports and continuing to make sure we've invested a high level for all of our sports,' ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said. College Sports Commission CEOThe commissioners said Seeley, as Major League Baseball executive vice president of legal and operations, was uniquely qualified to lead the CSC, which is charged with making sure schools adhere to the rules. 'Culture doesn't change overnight,' Seeley told The Athletic over the weekend. 'I don't expect that to happen overnight, but I do think that the schools that have signed on to the settlement want rules and want rules to be enforced. Otherwise they wouldn't have signed on to the settlement. I think student-athletes want a different system. So I think there is a desire for rules enforcement. There's a desire for transparency.' Sankey said Seeley is well-versed in areas of implementation, development and adjustment of rules and in NIL disputes requiring arbitration. Yormark said: 'You want people not to run away from a situation but to run to a situation. He ran here, and he's very passionate to make a difference and to course correct what's been going on in the industry.' Skepticism about enforcementDeloitte's 'NIL Go' program and LBI Software will track NIL deals and revenue-sharing contracts, and the commissioners shot down skepticism about the ability of those tools to enforce terms of the settlement. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said football and basketball coaches he spoke with in February were unanimous in wanting regulation. 'They have the responsibility to make what they asked for work,' he said. Congressional actionNCAA President Charlie Baker has been pushing Congress for a limited antitrust exemption that would protect college sports from another series of lawsuits, and the commissioners want a uniform federal NIL law that would supersede wide-ranging state laws. 'We're not going to have Final Fours and College Football Playoffs and College World Series with 50 different standards,' Sankey said, 'so that's a starting point.' Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said the willingness of administrators to modernize the college athletics model should prompt federal lawmakers to move on codifying the settlement. Sankey's meeting with TrumpSankey confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that he and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua played golf with President Donald Trump on Sunday. Sankey said he appreciates Trump's interest in college sports and that it was helpful to share perspectives on the path forward. Trump reportedly considered a presidential commission on college sports earlier this year. Sankey declined to disclose details of their talks. 'I think those are best left for the moment on the golf course,' he said. ___ AP college sports:
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Bryan Seeley is charged with enforcing college sports' new rules. What's his plan?
The closest Bryan Seeley has been to working in college sports was spending 40 hours a week covering them for the Daily Princetonian during his days as an undergraduate at the Ivy League school. Now, the longtime head of investigations for Major League Baseball is about to step into a brand-new role, leading a brand-new organization, which could make him one of the most powerful people in college sports. Advertisement On Friday night, Seeley, 46, was named the chief executive officer of the College Sports Commission, the enforcement agency launched by the wealthiest and most powerful conferences to oversee and implement the system that will allow direct payments from NCAA schools to athletes for the first time. The formal announcement of the CSC and Seeley's hiring came about two hours after a federal judge approved the $2.8 billion settlement of a trio of antitrust lawsuits facing the NCAA and major college conferences. A self-described lifelong college sports fan, Seeley brings more than a decade of experience in compliance, enforcement, investigations and policy-making at MLB, along with eight years with the U.S. Department of Justice and a law degree from Harvard. He said he was drawn to the job by the opportunity to shepherd college sports through a period of transition and into a new era. 'I view this as an area where I can really add value,' Seeley told The Athletic on Sunday in his first interview since a press release announced his hiring. College sports has a long history of inconsistent enforcement and skirting rules to gain a competitive advantage. The NCAA will still oversee rules related to academics and eligibility, but systems installed to regulate the revenue-sharing cap schools must adhere to, evaluate fair-market value of name, image and likeness deals between athletes and third parties and monitor roster limits will be under the purview of Seeley and the CSC. He will report to a board made up of the power conference commissioners. 'I think this is a good, new starting point. So whatever existed beforehand does not need to be what exists going forward,' Seeley said. 'Culture doesn't change overnight. I don't expect that to happen overnight, but I do think that the schools that have signed on to the settlement want rules and want rules to be enforced. Otherwise they wouldn't have signed on to the settlement. I think student-athletes want a different system. So I think there is a desire for rules enforcement. There's a desire for transparency.' Advertisement Seeley doesn't have an official start date, but there is no time to waste. Universities can begin directly sharing revenue with college athletes starting July 1. The clearinghouse for evaluating third-party NIL deals for athletes worth at least $600, run by accounting firm Deloitte, goes live Wednesday. Schools in power conferences are expected to sign formal agreements to abide by rulings made by Seeley and outside arbitrators. 'I haven't been given assurances of anything, but I do know from my read on this, there is buy-in from the institutions,' Seeley said. Seeley built the investigations unit at MLB, staffed with lawyers and former law enforcement officers. 'During his time at MLB, Bryan demonstrated unparalleled integrity, a commitment to fairness, and the ability to navigate complex challenges with precision and care,' Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. 'I have no doubt he will bring the same level of excellence to the College Sports Commission. College sports will greatly benefit from Bryan's expertise and vision.' Seeley's first task at CSC is to again build a staff. 'These are going to be more private-sector investigations, right?' Seeley said. 'We don't have subpoena power. We don't have search-warrant power. I've operated in that system for over a decade, so I'm well-suited to continue to do that with college sports.' He added, 'I think I'm one of the few people in the country who's probably led investigations into salary-cap circumvention, and so in terms of the subject matter, at least for part of this, I have a lot of experience.' MLB teams do not operate under a hard salary cap, but there is one for the league's international amateur talent acquisition system. One of the most prominent cases Seeley investigated came in 2017, when the Atlanta Braves were found to have circumvented international amateur signing rules over a three-year period. Braves general manager John Coppolella received a five-year ban for his role in the violations. In a separate investigation, Seeley's group found the Boston Red Sox had also cheated in the international amateur market. Punishment in that case was handed down in 2016. Advertisement While the highest levels of college sports are becoming more similar to professional sports, Seeley pushed back on the notion that the power conferences are trying to create another pro league. 'College sports is its own unique thing, and what makes college sports great needs to remain,' Seeley said. 'Some of the system we're going to bring for enforcement is a system that has been used in the pro sports world, but it's been used in other worlds, too. … But I don't view this as the professionalization of college sports. Working with schools and working with student-athletes is going to be quite different than working with professional sports teams and professional athletes.'
