This past month, the National Collegiate Athletics Association
(NCAA) agreed to a settlement framework with the plaintiffs in
three class action antitrust lawsuits1 which will
forever change the landscape of collegiate athletics. For as long
as college athletics has been in existence, the participating
student-athletes have been considered “amateurs,”
meaning they could not be paid directly for their participation or
performance in their respective sports. This concept of amateurism
has been at the core of college athletics and is an ideal the NCAA
has fiercely protected for decades through litigation and lobbying
efforts. Over the past decade, amateurism's viability has
been significantly threatened by previous unfavorable antitrust
verdicts2 and widespread state name, image, and
likeness (“NIL”) legislation. However, pending United
States District Court Judge Claudia Wilken's final approval,
this settlement appears to be the final and fatal blow to
amateurism.
