Another Potential Roadblock for Impending House Settlement
By: Jason Priester December 12, 2024

All of a sudden there may be an obstacle or two in the way of the House Settlement being finalized.

For months, the two opposing sides worked on settling the NCAA vs. the House case. The $2.8 billion settlement, which is good for 10 years, includes each school being able to allocate more than $20 million per year for athletes’ compensation, with a gradual increase each year.

The deal also calls for the schools to do away with scholarship limits, in favor of going to roster limits. While schools are currently allowed just 85 scholarships for football each season, most rosters are much larger due to the amount of walk-on players at each school. For example, Clemson has more than 140 players on its 2024 roster.

The new roster limits, which are supposed to take effect for the 2025 season, will cap rosters at 105. That means a lot of walk-on players across the country will be cut before next season. It’s something Dabo Swinney has pushed back against, as have many other coaches.

On Wednesday, news broke of at least one player sending a letter to U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who is overseeing the settlement. Jon Weidenbach, a walk-on at Michigan, penned the letter, asking the judge to reconsider the new roster limits.

“I am aware that many student-athletes will benefit financially from the proposed settlement in this case,” Weidenbach wrote. “But I wish to express that there are thousands of others, like me, who don’t expect anything from it. Those student-athletes, mostly walk-ons, earned a spot on their team, show up to practice every day, and embody every aspect of what it means to be a student-athlete without any care as to compensation.”

“Yet thousands of them will be cut – unnecessarily – the moment the settlement is approved due to the roster limits that are set to go into effect.”

Weidenbach’s letter also included quotes from head coaches Matt Rhule and Billy Napier, noting their displeasure with having to do away with walk-on players.

The same report also mentioned that parents of several players have also written letters to the judge asking for the new roster limits to be “phased in.”

This the second potential roadblock for the settlement before it is expected to be finalized in April.

On Dec. 2, the three former NCAA athletes issued their request in a letter to Judge Wilken. The three former athletes are calling for major structural changes beyond those established in the pending settlement, including enabling college athletes to bargain collectively through an independent players’ association.

While it is yet to be determined if any of these will actually derail the deal before it’s finalized, it’s certainly something worth monitoring.

Student-athletes have until January to agree to the settlement or opt out of it.

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