Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt Releases Statement On Latest NCAA Settlement

Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt commented on the latest development in collegiate athletics

Feb 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets athletic director J Batt after a game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

College Athletics are an ever-changing landscape and last night, a big decision was made that will continue to shape the future of college athletics. The NCAA and the Power Five conferences have agreed to allow the school to pay players for the first time.

Here are more details on the settlements and cases via ESPN's Pete Thamel and Dan Murphy:

"All Division I athletes dating back to 2016 are eligible to receive a share as part of the settlement class. In exchange, athletes cannot sue the NCAA for other potential antitrust violations and must drop their complaints in three open cases: House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA.

The settlement terms must be approved by Judge Claudia Wilken, who is presiding over all three cases. That process is expected to take several months, and sources said schools likely will begin sharing revenue in fall 2025.

The NCAA's board of governors and leaders from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12 voted to accept the general terms laid out in a 13-page document. Notre Dame also agreed to the settlement as a member of the ACC."

Today, Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt released this statement on social media about the latest developments from last night:

pic.twitter.com/SLuq5R8pjr

— J Batt (@GTBattman) May 24, 2024

While this is a huge deal, there is still a lot that needs to be sorted out, as Thamel wrote last night:

"How does Title IX factor into the financial calculus? That looms as the biggest campus worry. How will rosters be constructed? Football coaches who have 130 players on their team -- 85 scholarships and 45 walk-ons -- are wondering if they need to cut a third of the roster with the expected inclusion of roster caps.

"This all is well intended, but I'll believe it when I see it," an industry source told ESPN. "There are three big issues looming that will determine how this goes: The Title IX strategy for the implementation of revenue distribution, enforcement issues surrounding residual NIL and how roster caps work."

If NIL remains outside athletic departments, as expected, who will police it? The NCAA's enforcement track record is nearly as poor as its legal record. Could there be someone -- perhaps a magistrate or special master appointed by Judge Wilken -- who is an arbiter of the interpretations of the settlement?"

I think that it is good to hear that Batt and Georgia Tech are embracing the changes that have come to college athletics, but there is still more to come.