NCAA Settlement Faces Potential Delay as College Leaders Finalize Edits

The long-form agreement in the NCAA’s landmark settlement of the House, Hubbard, and Carter antitrust cases is set to be filed with the court next week, according to plaintiff’s attorneys. However, ongoing edits from college athletic leaders may push the filing date further, potentially requiring an extension from the court.

“We’re waiting for their final comments. We are hoping to file by the end of next week,” said Jeffrey Kessler, one of the lead plaintiff’s attorneys, in an interview with Yahoo Sports on Tuesday.

This delay arises as college athletic leaders from the four power conferences and the NCAA work through finalizing edits to the document. The long-form agreement, sent to college leaders earlier this summer, is part of a routine process for any settlement. Plaintiff’s attorneys will review any changes suggested by conference and NCAA officials before submitting the document to the court.

Kessler reassured that the expected changes are not substantial. He described the long-form agreement as a formalization of the term sheet agreed upon by the parties in May, noting that there are minimal outstanding issues.

Related: The NCAA Faces New Antitrust Suit

Despite the expected smooth finalization of the settlement, the future revenue-sharing model in college athletics presents several significant challenges. Issues such as roster sizes by sport, the establishment of a new third-party enforcement arm, and the determination of the exact revenue cap figure remain unresolved. However, these are deemed “internal issues” for conference leaders to decide and are not necessary to complete the long-form agreement, Kessler stated.

One particular point of interest is that the agreement prohibits scholarship caps for sports but allows for roster limits without specifying what those limits should be. Similarly, while the broader concept of an enforcement arm and a revenue cap figure is included, the specifics are left open for future determination.

As college athletics navigate these changes, the timely filing of the long-form agreement remains a critical next step in formalizing the historic settlement.

Source: Sports Yahoo