CLEMSON – Clemson athletic director Graham Neff is part of a “transition team” that is playing a big role in changing the new power structure in college athletics.
In a story by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger on Thursday, a committee of power conference administrators took steps during a two-day summit in creating a new entity that will govern the professionalization of college athletics.
Dellenger wrote it is “a milestone moment in the industry’s history.”
During this two-day summit in Washington, D.C., a “transition team” was asked to establish a new structure to oversee, manage and enforce the settlement-related athlete compensation system for all of NCAA Division I.
According to Dellenger, the LLC will be overseen by a CEO or executive director. It is centered on a new enforcement arm to police violators of the industry’s new salary cap and is expected to feature revenue-sharing policies and a corresponding penalty structure for the violators.
Last month, the power conferences—Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12—proposed to remake the NCAA governance by shifting more authority to them regrading rulemaking, policy decisions and postseason events. This entity grants them more autonomy and creates a new division or subdivision within the NCAA.
The “transition team” is made up of two athletic directors from each of the power four leagues – the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12. The four power leagues are leading the implementation of the House agreement’s most significant piece – schools are permitted annually to share millions in revenue with athletes under a capped system scheduled to begin July 1.
Dellenger released the names of members of the “transition team” committee, which was unannounced and kept secret. A few names he mentioned were Ohio State’s Ross Bjork, Texas A&M’s Trev Alberts and Neff. Other schools represented include Arizona, Cincinnati, Washington, Georgia Tech and Kentucky.
The Clemson Insider reached out to Clemson Athletic Communications and Neff for a comment on Dellenger’s report, and was told, “We do not wish to provide additional comment on the Dellenger piece.”
According to Dellenger, commissioners, compliance officers and general counsels of the four power conferences are leading the group. Pac-12 representatives are also involved as the league is a named defendant.
A final approval hearing for the House Settlement is scheduled for April 7. However, even if the settlement is rejected, Dellenger reports that college leaders are prepared to move forward with compensating athletes under this new model.
In the Yahoo Story, Dellenger writes, “The transition team gathered in Washington on Sunday and Monday to further explore details around this newly created framework, which entails a three-prong approach of enforcement: (1) a cap management system; (2) an NIL clearinghouse; and (3) an investigative and infractions unit — much of which Yahoo Sports has previously reported.
“At least two NCAA representatives were part of the meeting this week along with officials from LBi and Deloitte. LBi, a software company that maintains the NBA’s player contract management system, is serving as the cap management company.
“Deloitte, the world’s largest professional services network, will operate the new NIL clearinghouse, which is charged with determining fair market value of income earned by athletes outside of the school (ie: name, image and likeness deals). Deals affiliated with a booster, booster group or any entity deemed to be associated with the school are the only ones subject to the clearinghouse’s more rigorous fair market value standard.”
The story also goes into what will be policed and how everyone is not in agreement with the House Settlement, but the NCAA and plaintiff attorneys are confident California judge, Claudia Wilken, will approve the agreement.
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