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Florida Universities Can Now Pay Student Athletes Directly

The House vs. NCAA settlement has been one of the most talked-about topics in college sports this offseason. Now that the agreement has officially been approved by a federal judge, universities can begin paying student athletes directly.

The University of Florida Athletic Association will be able to spend up to $20.5 million a year on compensating its athletes starting July 1st. Additionally, it’ll have the option to use $2 million annually to backpay former student athletes.

College sports continue to be extremely popular, with reports suggesting that one-third of the US population are fans of university-level competitions. With viewership rising, more money has been flowing into athletic departments.

Deals for broadcasting rights, merchandise sales, and sponsorships are growing more lucrative each year. On top of this, more college sports fans are signing up on the top online sports betting platforms and cashing in on the number of promotions tied to big games. This helped increase viewership and intensify the commercial appeal of college games.

While more money has been pouring in, the athletes themselves have historically seen little of it. Now, US District Court Judge Claudie Wilken has approved the House vs. NCAA Settlement which allows them to be paid directly by universities.

Not only can universities now share their revenue with students, but they’ll also be able to compensate former athletes dating back to 2016 retroactively.

The University of Florida Athletic Association has welcomed the court ruling and referred to it as an important step for growing college athletics. It said it’ll remain committed to supporting its student athletes both on and off the field.

In accordance with the House settlement, the University of Florida will look to provide support to all of its 21 men’s and women’s sports teams.

Priority will be given to programs that generate the most revenue, with 75% of the available athlete compensations expected to go to football players.

Men’s basketball team is projected to receive 15%, while 5% will go to the women’s basketball team.

With the distribution largely based on the revenue generated by each sport, the remaining 5% is expected to be allocated to other sports.

According to the reports from 2024, the UF topped $200 million in revenues, with over $100 million coming from its football program.

Besides student athletes in Florida being able to receive direct compensation from universities, they’ll still be able to receive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) endorsements tied to their personal brand value.

However, the ways in which those deals are made will undergo more scrutiny. All deals of more than $600 will be handled through a platform called NIL Go. Rather than being by the NCAA directly, they’ll be reviewed by the College Sports Commission, which will issue penalties to schools that break NIL and revenue-sharing deals.

Florida football has already begun laying the groundwork for the new revenue-sharing era in college sports. Head coach Billy Napier has said that the new system will provide more structure and stability to roster building in 2025 and beyond.

In February, the university strengthened its football program by appointing Benjamin Elsner and Nick Polk to key leadership roles. The latter had previously spent 17 years managing contracts and salary cap for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. He’s expected to play a major role in overseeing UF’s new football compensation strategy.

 

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