University of Delaware Athletics
FAQs
What is the House settlement?
In brief, a federal court approved the final settlement of a pending lawsuit called House v. NCAA on June 6, and the settlement goes into effect on July 1. House is a collection of antitrust cases in which former student-athletes sued the NCAA and Power 4 conferences – the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, and SEC (“the P4”). Settlement of the House case will impact Delaware Athletics in three primary ways:
Money Damages: Although Delaware and other non-P4 schools were not sued, the NCAA and the P4 are requiring all NCAA Division I member institutions to contribute to the agreed-upon $2.8 billion in money damages being paid to former student-athletes over the next 10 years as part of the House settlement. The money damages will result in a loss of revenue normally received by Delaware Athletics from the NCAA as part of its annual revenue distribution plan.
Removal of Scholarship Limits and Addition of Roster Limits: Pursuant to the House settlement and effective July 1, current limits on the number of athletic scholarships that Division I institutions can provide to each team will be replaced by roster limits. There will no longer be scholarship limits per sport, there will only be a roster limit for each sport, which means that Delaware could fund more scholarships with additional funding. Delaware will continue to be Title IX compliant with how scholarships are awarded.
Direct Institutional Payments to Student-Athletes:
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the House settlement is that Division I institutions may now share revenue directly with student-athletes – in a maximum amount for all sports up to $20.5 million per year. The cap is the maximum, but schools opting in like Delaware, will choose the amount they share with student-athletes.
Is Delaware opting in? Why/Why Not?
All full-time members of Conference USA are opting into the House settlement. By opting in, we're ensuring that our varsity programs can continue competing at the highest levels of CUSA and our affiliate conferences by recruiting, retaining and developing outstanding student-athletes. You can not opt in for select sports, it is per institution and all teams must then follow the roster limits and cap management process.
Will Delaware spend up to the $20.5 million per year cap?
Not at this time. The $20.5 million per year is the maximum amount that a Division I institution can spend on all sports. This years cap was created by taking 22% of the average Power 4 revenue from ticket sales, sponsorship, media rights, and licensing revenue. There is no additional money coming to Delaware or any institution as part of the settlement, so the determination of revenue being shared will be approximately proportional with how external revenue comes in.
How will philanthropic gifts to the Student-Athlete Excellence Fund and Student-Athlete Financial Aid Fund be used?
Gifts to the Student-Athlete Financial Aid Fund will be used by coaches to provide scholarship support to student-athletes, and with the removal of scholarship limits by the NCAA as part of the House Settlement, more student-athletes can receive scholarship support than ever before. Gifts to the Student-Athlete Excellence Fund will create the opportunity for coaches, in conjunction with their program general manager and/or sport administrator, to provide NIL payments to student-athletes with a goal of attracting and retaining elite Blue Hen student-athletes.
How can fans support Delaware in this new era?
Our passionate donors and supporters can impact our success like never before. There are a number of ways fans and donors can support the Blue Hens.
- We are launching the Student-Athlete Excellence Fund to directly impact our NIL endeavors. All donations to the Student-Athlete Excellence Fund are tax-deductible. All questions regarding the Student-Athlete Excellence Fund should be directed to Casey Macdonald at caseymac@udel.edu.
- Fans can also donate to the Student-Athlete Financial Aid Fund to provide current-use financial aid support for Blue Hen student-athletes, allowing us to provide additional scholarship and academic award support for student-athletes who proudly represent Delaware.
- Donating to the varsity program of your choice to help with operational needs of the program so we can continue to provide a great student-athlete experience.
- Purchase tickets to any sporting event
- Supporting Delaware student-athletes through personalized NIL merchandise through Athlete’s Thread
Can businesses support this new era?
Yes! Businesses can sign up to the Blue Hen Exchange platform to support Delaware student-athletes through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)/sponsorship opportunities. Businesses can also reach out to Kate Rudolph directly at rudolphk@udel.edu.
