Minnesota AD's New Job: How To Directly Pay Student-Athletes

Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle is trying to figure out how he’s going to share millions in revenue with student-athletes next year.

Nov 26, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; A Minnesota Golden Gophers helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle is the latest Big Ten athletic director to talk about the changing landscape of college athletics, including Name, Image and Likeness.

Coyle talked to the Star-Tribune about the latest development in the House vs. NCAA case and how it impacts how the Golden Gophers will budget athletically next season.

The House vs. NCAA settlement, which is not yet approved by a judge, would radically change how student-athletes are paid. In fact, it would allow schools like Minnesota to directly pay student-athletes from a pool of up to $20 million starting with the next athletic year.

Along with it, there are billions of back payments to other student-athletes as a result of the settlement.

Earlier this year new Nebraska Cornhuskers athletic director Troy Dannen told members of the 1890 Collective, which supports his student-athletes, that the Huskers had already set the money aside in their next budget.

What about Minnesota?

Well, Coyle is planning but he’s not there yet.

"Every school is going to have to make some tough decisions," he said in the interview.

Coyle and his staff manage 19 NCAA sports. He’s already met with all of his head coaches about the future.

He admits he has some advantages. Minnesota has plenty of money rolling in, thanks in part of the Big Ten’s new television deals, which kick in fully this athletic year.

The seven-year, $8 billion deal commits the Big Ten’s broadcast rights to CBS, NBC and Fox through 2029-30.

That deal will significantly boost the money paid to each Big Ten member through league revenue-sharing. Per Nielsen, the Big Ten expects each of its schools to get anywhere from $80-100 million per year.

The Big Ten just distributed $60.5 million to each school for fiscal year 2023, a payout announced last month.

That will help Coyle offset some of that. But, belt-tightening will also be required. He told the Star-Tribune that his leadership is fine with paying out to the full amount, but the budget must balance.

"The financial pressure is real for a lot of people," he said. "It's real for Minnesota and real for every other school. But we're all going to have to figure out how we navigate to start doing this revenue sharing."