NCAA Agrees to $303 Million Settlement With Volunteer Coaches

The NCAA has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit from roughly 7,700 volunteer coaches, lawyers for the coaches say. 

The coaches had alleged that the NCAA illegally fixed their wages and prevented them from getting paid.

The settlement, worth $303 million, is awaiting approval by Judge William Shubb, who approved a settlement for a similar lawsuit for college baseball coaches in September. The settlement says a coach would receive an average of $39,200, which will also factor in expenses, fees, the school, and number of years worked when compensating its class action members. 

Before both lawsuits, the NCAA previously allowed the role of a volunteer coach in some sports. It stopped letting schools use volunteer coaches and increased the amount of paid coaches permitted in some sports after the suits.

The proposed settlement says that “many class members will receive a six-figure amount” and includes Division I coaches mainly from Olympic sports such as soccer, swimming, and track. Eligible coaches had to have worked as Division I volunteer coaches from March 17, 2019 to June 20, 2023. 

In a letter to Division I schools, NCAA president Charlie Baker said a hearing to finalize the settlement will likely occur in 2026. Baker also said the $303 million will be paid out over three years. The DI Board and NCAA Board of Governors and its finance committees will discuss how to pay for the settlement, which Baker said will likely come from a “combination of revenue distribution reductions, net assets and National office contributions.” 

“We are incredibly proud of this settlement which, if approved, will provide significant and meaningful compensation to thousands of hard-working coaches,” the lawyers for the coaches said in a statement. “We look forward to the approval process and are committed to ensuring that these funds are distributed to coaches in a fair and efficient manner.” 

Baseball coaches reached their own settlement for about $49 million in September, with $33 million designated for roughly 1,000 coaches. Baker said in his letter that the NCAA found money for that settlement through national office savings and increased revenue “to avoid reducing distributions.” 

An NCAA spokesperson declined to comment, referring to Baker’s letter.