Illini AD Josh Whitman Speaks on NCAA Settlement

Illini AD Josh Whitman Speaks on NCAA Settlement

Earlier this month, Illini athletic director Josh Whitman became the chair of the NCAA Division One Council. This was a huge step for the Illinois athletic director as it portrays how involved he is in vouching for student-athletes and being at the forefront of change within the NCAA. Most recently, the NCAA and the five power conferences reached a settlement allows the schools involved to directly pay players. Per ESPN, the NCAA and its leagues reached a multi-billion dollar agreement on three federal antitrust cases. Additionally, an agreement has been reached regarding a revenue-sharing plan that could share up to 20 million per year with its athletes

Josh Whitman released a public letter regarding the settlement and shared his thoughts.

Per Whitman’s letter:

“We have much work still to do; it will be many months before the settlement is finalized and officially sanctioned by the Court. But we know today the primary elements of the agreement, which will result in a reshaping of our traditional scholarship system and the opportunity, but not the requirement, for programs like ours at Illinois to share revenue directly with select student-athletes. We also expect a new enforcement regime that will permit only true, market-rate name-image-likeness appearance and endorsement opportunities for student-athletes.”

Additionally, Whitman stated in his letter that he expects formal changes to arrive in the Fall of 2025. What changes? Essentially, the settlement may implement roster limits as opposed to scholarship limits given that the NCAA scholarship limits may be eradicated. These are truly unique times. As we stray away from extra eligibility due to COVID-19, we enter the age of NIL and the transfer portal. This new settlement may add another dimension to all that is going on.

NCAA, power conferences agree to settlement to allow schools to pay players. Story with ⁦@DanMurphyESPN⁩ on a historic day in college sports, and we explain the complications that remain. https://t.co/5oZL6nfxlP

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 23, 2024

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