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Nebraska’s athletic director, Troy Dannen, recently shared some important news with the school’s coaches. He said that no matter what happens, Nebraska won’t cut scholarships or sports programs. This is a big deal because there’s a lot of change happening in college sports right now.
The House v. NCAA settlement is shaking things up.
If this settlement gets fully approved, it could start a new era of revenue sharing in college athletics. The cap is set at 22% of average Power Conference revenue, translating to $20.5 million for the 2025-26 sports year, as reported by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. Schools might have to adjust their budgets to make room for these changes.
Dannen emphasized that cutting scholarships isn’t on the table. Instead, he’s looking at Nebraska’s budget and expenses closely. “I will tell you the only thing – the only thing that’s absolute that I’ve told our coaches is we’re not cutting scholarships and we’re not cutting sports,” he stated. He believes they need to find better ways to allocate existing funds.
This means Nebraska’s leadership team has been busy figuring out how to adapt. “60% of my day is contemplating how we’re going to operationalize and how this settlement will play out,” Dannen shared. It’s a complex puzzle they’re trying to solve.
There’s also concern about non-revenue and Olympic sports due to potential financial impacts. The House settlement involves back damages totaling $2.77 billion, with the NCAA expected to cover 40%. The rest would come from reduced school distributions.
Troy Dannen admits there are many unanswered questions. “There are 100 questions that I don’t have answers for,” he confessed, highlighting uncertainties about roster limits and other issues. For instance, he’s unsure how the football roster limit of 105 players will be implemented throughout the year.
Dannen has been cautious about discussing these topics publicly, noting it’s still active litigation. He’s started discussions with coaches across all sports to explore potential benefits and strategies under the new model.
The preliminary approval of the House settlement is just one step toward finalization. Notice campaigns and claim periods began last month, with the first payments due by May 15, 2025, or within 45 days of finalization.
Some athletes have already raised objections to the settlement terms, including rowers from Yale, Oregon State, George Washington, and Texas. They have until January 31, 2025, to file objections before the claim period closes.
The motion for final approval is set for March 3, 2025, with a hearing scheduled for April 7, 2025. This hearing will take place both remotely and in person.
