Charlie Baker hopes NCAA settlement creates stability for schools - ESPN

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — NCAA president Charlie Baker met with coaches and athletic directors Monday at this year's ACC spring meetings, discussing — among other things — a potential settlement in the House vs. NCAA case that could reshape the future of college athletics.

Baker said settlement talks — and the revenue-sharing agreement that would accompany any settlement — was «only a small part» of his presentation, and he reiterated that there are still a lot of moving pieces and no deadline to finalize a deal. But the framework currently being discussed could provide some needed clarity on how schools manage rosters and player acquisition.

«I think everybody would like to have to be in a position where they feel like they could plan,» Baker said, «and in the current world we live in, planning is very hard to do.»

Brought by Arizona State swimmer Grant House in 2020, the class-action case claims the NCAA violated antitrust laws by prohibiting athletes from profiting from their name, image and likeness prior to that year. The plaintiffs sought damages in the billions. The potential settlement would involve the NCAA paying more than $2.7 billion and agreeing to a new revenue-sharing model that could shift as much as $20 million annually to athletes.

The costs associated with the settlement, along with the possibility of uncapping scholarships, could result in schools that max out those options seeing a budget hit of more than $35 million annually, according to multiple athletic directors who spoke to ESPN.

Still, Baker said there was broad support for the move, which would provide some much-needed clarity and a framework for a sustainable business model for college sports.

«You can invest in your athletes, you can invest in