College athletes to get paid after NCAA settlement

The change may come as early as the 2025 fall semester

(Image credit: Brett Wilhelm / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

What happened

The NCAA and five power conferences agreed Thursday to a $2.77 billion settlement that paves the way for schools to directly pay college athletes starting as soon as fall 2025. The agreement effectively kills the NCAA's century-old "bedrock amateurism model," The Associated Press said.

Who said what

The 10-year settlement "will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come," the NCAA said in a joint statement with the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. It leaves a bunch of questions unsettled, including "who will get paid and how much," The Wall Street Journal said.

Whatever the final terms, "the most far-reaching component is a new revenue-sharing model, which would pay athletes a cut of money their schools generate from broadcast rights deals, ticket sales and sponsorships," The Washington Post said.

What next?

Lawyers for the NCAA, colleges and plaintiffs will hammer out the details over the next four to six weeks, and if a federal judge signs off on the terms, the settlement could go into force in six to eight months.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.