• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Settlement in NCAA’s House Case Wouldn’t Prevent Future Matt Slukas

  • NCAA president Charlie Baker said the proposed House v. NCAA settlement would alleviate some issues in the NIL industry.
  • It would not have prevented the reported NIL dispute involving former UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka.
UNLV QB Matt Sluka
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka announced he intended to transfer schools because of an unfulfilled NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal. Multiple reports suggested the crux of the dispute was a verbal agreement for $100,000 promised to Sluka by coaches before he committed to UNLV—a promise that was never fulfilled, and that UNLV’s athletic department and NIL collective said they never agreed to

On Wednesday evening, the NCAA finally weighed in. President Charlie Baker told a small group of reporters that he believed the terms of the proposed House v. NCAA settlement would alleviate some of the issues plaguing the fledgling NIL industry. 

It would not, however, prevent more situations like Sluka’s. 

The House v. NCAA settlement proposal, first filed in July, would require the NCAA and power conferences to pay $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes who couldn’t participate in NIL before 2021—and allow schools to pay a percentage of annual revenue directly to athletes, starting at around $22 million. But the settlement also includes a provision that would allow the NCAA to have more control over the NIL landscape, and specifically NIL collectives. A “clearinghouse” would be established and maintained by a third party that would require any NIL deal over $600 to be submitted for approval. The entity could block any deals seen as “pay-for-play,” rather than “fair-market value.” The settlement would also allow NIL collectives to be brought in-house to athletic departments.

Baker suggested to Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports that the settlement would “put in place a structure that will be transparent, where people have obligations and assignments and responsibilities and accountability.” In other words, the schools would pay players, and anyone else who wanted to offer NIL deals would have to go through an approval process. 

The settlement proposal, in any case, has a long way to go. Northern District of California judge Claudia Wilken raised concerns about the NIL clearinghouse in a hearing on Sept 5—and the NCAA’s lawyer said it could be willing to blow up the entire settlement if the language doesn’t include those NIL restrictions.

The attorneys have until the end of the day Thursday to file a response.

Allowing schools to share revenue with players will not result in the end of the NIL industry—or the NIL collective industry, as multiple industry stakeholders have previously told Front Office Sports. 

There’s another reason the settlement wouldn’t prevent a dispute like the one Sluka faced. The entity proposed in the House settlement would not be tasked with making sure collectives keep their word on paying players. Instead, its goal is to allow deals to go through if they’re considered legitimate, or be rejected if they are considered recruiting inducements, according to court documents. That enforcement mechanism would be irrelevant to Sluka’s conundrum.

If anything, situations like Sluka’s may become even more common. His agent said that the agreement was verbal, rather than written, because it was discussed before Sluka committed to UNLV—and was therefore to protect the parties from being accused of agreeing to a recruiting inducement. (A federal judge has since ruled that the NCAA can’t punish athletes for negotiating and signing NIL contracts before committing to a school, further complicating matters.)

But in a world in which the House v. NCAA settlement governs NIL, where deals are strictly scrutinized as pay-for-play, it may become more common for players to agree to verbal offers, and get nothing in writing so they aren’t accused of accepting bribes. 

Outside the House settlement, the NCAA says its hands are tied when it comes to protecting athletes from bad actors. “The NCAA fully supports college athletes profiting from their NIL, but unfortunately there is little oversight or accountability in the NIL space and far too often promises made to student-athletes are broken,” Tim Buckley, NCAA SVP of external affairs, said in a statement shared with FOS on Thursday. “Positive changes are underway at the NCAA to deliver more benefits to student-athletes but without clear legal authority granted by the courts or by Congress, the NCAA, conferences and schools have limited authority to regulate third parties involved in NIL transactions.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Nijaree Canady’s $1 Million Arm Slays Softball Favorite Oklahoma

NIL star Canady leads Tech to the Finals in her first season.
Hosts of Inside the NBA on TNT
exclusive

Inside ‘Inside the NBA’ Transition to ESPN

Sources say ESPN management will take a hands-off approach to the show.

Masters Raising Ticket Prices After Cracking Down on Secondary Market

Tournament day tickets in 2026 will cost $160, up from $140 in 2025.

History Shows Pacers vs. Thunder May Draw Record-Low Ratings

Indiana and Oklahoma City are two of the NBA’s smallest U.S. television markets.

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
Mar 22, 2025; Birmingham AL, USA; LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne stretches with teammates before Session 2 of the SEC Gymnastics Tournament at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

House Settlement Is Supposed to Take Effect in July. It’s Still Not..

College sports awaits which athlete compensation rules will govern the 2025 season.
May 29, 2025

Brett Yormark: Big 12 Puts Private Equity and Naming Rights on Pause

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is shifting his conference’s strategy.
Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) rebounds over Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) and Mississippi Rebels guard Matthew Murrell (11) in the second half of a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena.
May 30, 2025

SEC Increases Court Storming Fine to $500K—With Caveat

The SEC used to fine schools $500,000 as a third-time offense.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 29, 2025

Former Seton Hall Baseball Player Sues Over Sexualized Hazing

The student says the coach knew about the hazing and failed to act.
May 29, 2025

Brian Kelly Pushes for SEC–Big Ten Alliance. Would It Widen the Gap?

A deal, if completed, would further strengthen college football’s two titans.
Mar 16, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) drives to the basket as Memphis Tigers forward Nicholas Jourdain (2) defends during the first half at Dickies Arena.
May 28, 2025

Prospects Picking College Over NBA Draft at Record Rate

The 2025 NBA draft has its lowest number of early entrants since 2015.
Tennessee pitcher Brayden Krenzel (34) pitches during a NCAA baseball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on May 11, 2025.
May 27, 2025

SEC Stranglehold on College Baseball Continues

SEC schools will host eight of the 16 regionals set to start this weekend.