This week, Judge Claudia Wilken granted preliminary approval to terms of the House v. NCAA lawsuit which, among other changes, will designate nearly $3 billion in back pay to former college athletes, allow schools to share up to an estimated $22 million per year directly with athletes, and alter roster/scholarship limits across all sports, with football moving to a hard limit of 105 players, all of whom would be eligible for scholarship.
A final hearing is not until April 7, 2025, with implementation expected for the 2025-26 academic year, but the real-world impact is beginning to trickle out now.
On Friday, Texas AD Chris Del Conte sent a letter to Longhorn Foundation donors outlining his monstrous athletics department's plans to adapt for a post-House world.
Most importantly, Del Conte told donors Texas expects its scholarship costs to increase $11.5 million per year, beyond the estimated $22 million in "NIL Remuneration," as Del Conte put it.
"(W)e will maximize these new opportunities and continue supporting our student-athletes without eliminating sports or reducing current scholarships or support services benefits," Del Conte wrote.
Texas has won the NACDA Directors Cup in three of the last four years, awarded to the top all-around athletics department in the nation. Stanford had previously won the Directors Cup annually from 1994-95 to 2018-19.
Texas also reported $271 million in revenue during the 2023 fiscal year, the most on record, against $232 million in expenses. Football alone was credited with $183 million in revenue against $122 million in expenses. Del Conte also said when the figures were reported back in January that 2024 projected better than 2023. "We have room to grow," he said at the time.
Not coincidentally, Texas football heads into perhaps its most consequential 8-day stretch in recent program history. The Longhorns carry a No. 1 ranking into the annual Red River game for the first time in 40 years, and will step on the Cotton Bowl field as 14-point favorites. Next week, Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in a game that has already been selected for an ABC prime time telecast.
"To ensure that we continue sponsoring championship-level programs in our pursuit to define what it means to be the world's best intercollegiate athletics program, Texas Athletics will continue to rely heavily on the generosity of our valued donors coupled with revenue generation through media rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales," Del Conte wrote.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.