Athletes can now accept prize money before enrolling in college after the NCAA struck a landmark settlement with a pair of tennis stars.
In addition to the rule change, the NCAA has agreed to pay out more than $2 million after settling a class action lawsuit led by North Carolina tennis star Reese Brantmeier and former University of Texas player Maya Joint. The NCAA will also pay nearly $1.9 million in attorney fees and reimburse $425,000 for class counsel fees, once the settlement is approved by a federal judge.
Brantmeier and Joint will also receive “service awards” worth $10,000 apiece.
Brantmeier sued the NCAA in 2024 after she won $50,000 at the 2021 US Open but was unable to collect and maintain her eligibility to play college tennis. Joint, who played for the University of Texas, joined Brantmeier’s lawsuit late last year after she won $140,000 at the 2024 US Open. Joint has since turned pro and is ranked No. 29 in the world.
The details of the proposed settlement between the NCAA and the players were revealed in a court filing Tuesday which stated that the NCAA removed prize money restrictions for incoming student-athletes two months ago. A judge still needs to grant final approval.
The settlement reads:
“The NCAA will revise its Prize Money Rules to eliminate any restrictions on student-athletes’ acceptance of Prize Money prior to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment … The NCAA’s rule change will benefit student-athletes competing in all sports − not just tennis.
“The elimination of such restrictions for pre-college enrollment tennis student-athletes became effective as of February 25, 2026. … Upon this Court’s final approval of the Settlement, the NCAA will be enjoined from reinstating the pre-college enrollment Prize Money Rules that existed prior to the Settlement.”
The prize money rule change was made immediately after the two sides agreed to a settlement in February. At the time, the details of the settlement were not revealed and the parties had 60 days to submit settlement terms to the court.
Earlier this month, the NCAA announced that it would adopt several proposed rule changes, including a change that would allow student-athletes to “accept prize money in their respective sports without impacting eligibility” before full-time collegiate enrollment. The announcement said that the rule change was a result of the class action lawsuit filed by Brantmeier and Joint.
However, the NCAA will not change its rule on accepting prize money after initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. The rule states:
“An individual may accept prize money based on place finish or performance in an athletics event. Such prize money may not exceed actual and necessary expenses and may be provided only by the sponsor of the event.”
The two sides also filed a motion to seal parts of the settlement from the public. A response to the motion is due May 12, and a judge has until May 19 to approve the proposed settlement.
Jason Miller, Brentmeier and Joint’s lawyer, praised the proposed deal in a statement to Front Office Sports.
“We are particularly encouraged that the NCAA has agreed to permanently change its prize money rules across all sports, ensuring that future student-athletes will not be bound by the same restrictions at issue in this case,” he said.
“These changes will meaningfully impact prospective student-athletes in all sports for years to come. While the agreement remains subject to final court approval, we are hopeful that a large group of student-athletes will receive long-overdue compensation for their hard-earned winnings.”
