The NCAA is trying to figure out how to pay a massive bill and HBCUs are on the hook for it as well.
The House vs. NCAA anti-trust lawusuit found that nearly $3 billion is owed to former student-athletes, according to Yahoo Sports. The damages are largely due to broadcast revenue attributable to Power 5 football and men’s basketball as well as NIL, video games and other issues.
The NCAA, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference are defendants in the House case, and they are responsible for 24 percent of the money owed. The NCAA national office is expected to pay 41 percent of the damages.
The remaining group, despite not being named in the suit, are up for approximately $1.7 billion. The Group of Five is set to pay 10 percent. The FCS – which includes the MEAC and SWAC as well as the Colonial Athletic Association and Ohio Valley Conference (both of which contain HBCU programs), with non-football conferences making up 12 percent.
The commissioners of the non-Power Five leagues, including the MEAC and SWAC, sent a memo to the NCAA asking that the Power leagues be responsible for 60 percent of the monies owed. They did not find out about the damages they would be expected to cover until a few weeks prior via media reports.
“The money is flowing to their student-athletes while disproportionately (the settlement) is penalizing our institutions,” Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said via the AP.