FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati says that the private Big 12 school is all in on the maximum amount of revenue — expected to be more than $20 million a year — that will be allowed to be shared with student-athletes under a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement proposal agreed to earlier this year by the NCAA and the nation’s biggest conferences.
Donati updated TCU supporters on the pending settlement of the House v. NCAA class-action lawsuit, and the implications for schools, in his latest monthly newsletter posted by the school on Friday.
The AD pointed out that the settlement would include payment of damages to former student-athletics who did not have name, image and likeness opportunities during their time in school, a new revenue-sharing plan with current and future student-athletes, the removal of scholarship limitations and implementation of roster caps.
“All this will combine to provide a new collegiate athletics model and industry reset that comes with a significant permissive expense projected to be over $20 million annually,” Donati wrote.
He then wrote that TCU would “fully participate at the maximum level allowed” when revenue sharing with student-athletes goes into effect, which will be no earlier than the fall of 2025.
TCU’s enrollment last fall of 12,785 students was the lowest in the Big 12, which next week becomes a 16-school conference. That is when Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah formally become Big 12 members, at the same time Oklahoma and Texas depart for the Southeastern Conference.
The proposed revenue-sharing model would allow up to 22% of the average power league school’s annual revenue being directed to athletes. The settlement proposal still needs approval from a federal judge.
“However they determine that money can be allocated, we’ll be right there at the top. Nobody will pay their football program more than us,” Donati later told The Associated Press. “As far as revenue share is concerned, no one will exceed what we’re doing for TCU football.”
The Horned Frogs made it the College Football Playoff championship game two seasons ago. They were 5-7 last year.
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