Judge Claudia Wilken of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a key deadline for the House v. NCAA case on Wednesday. Wilken gave the defendants 14 days to reach an agreement on the gradual implementation of roster sizes or risk outright rejection of the landmark settlement.
Wilken wants to see current athletes “grandfathered in” and allowed to remain on rosters until their eligibility expires. This would enable schools to temporarily exceed new roster limits, which include unlimited scholarships. Hard cuts would likely leave nearly 5,000 athletes without spots on rosters across the NCAA’s 43 sponsored sports.
Wilken first expressed concerns over roster limits when she granted the case preliminary approval on April 7. NCAA attorney Rakesh Kilaru opposed the idea, though he agreed to work with the plaintiff’s attorneys on a solution.
The NCAA and the five power conferences — the defendants in the case — released a statement shortly after Wilken’s new deadline.
“We are closely reviewing Judge Wilken’s order,” the statement read. “Our focus continues to be on securing approval of this significant agreement, which aims to create more opportunities than ever before for student-athletes while fostering much-needed stability and fairness in college sports.”
Under the settlement, football rosters will shrink to 105 players, resulting in many schools cutting 20 or more players. Some have already begun that process, well before the settlement’s approval.
The $2.8 billion settlement would allow schools to directly pay players millions of dollars starting July 1. Each school’s revenue-sharing formula would be capped at $20.5 million, with the pool increasing 4% each year during the 10-year agreement. The $2.8 billion in back payments for athletes who competed between 2016 and 2024 would also be set in motion upon Wilken’s approval.
What is House v….
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