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Syracuse University’s Senate discussed the “impending changes” to college athletics and their potential impact on SU athletes during its fourth meeting of the semester on Wednesday night.

Craig Tucker and Jodi Upton, co-chairs of the Senate Committee on Athletic Policy, delivered their first report of the semester, which centered around the potential ramifications of recent legislation surrounding the payment of college athletes — namely the House, Hubbard and Carter antitrust lawsuit settlements with the NCAA.

Under the $2.8 billion settlement, preliminarily approved by a California district court judge on Oct. 7, the NCAA and individual universities must retroactively compensate college athletes who competed between June 2016 and September 2024 and were unable to benefit fully from Name, Image and Likeness legislation.

The agreement also allows universities to participate in a revenue-sharing model that would allow athletic departments to allocate $20 million to athletes’ pay, which will increase as college athletic revenue increases.

The colleges would be allowed to choose how to allocate the funds, with most likely going to football and men’s basketball players as those programs bring in the most revenue.

“Over the past few years, this committee has been industrious in its effort to understand and dissect the ever-changing world of college sports,” Tucker said. “Two conclusions that we all agree upon at this point is that impending changes are inevitable, and that the impact of these changes … are, in many cases, yet to be determined.”

During his remarks, SU Chancellor Kent Syverud alluded to his “strong views” on the settlement. He previously expressed concern regarding the long-term impacts of the decision. In an Oct. 8 virtual press conference, he said he believes the ruling may have a “house of cards” effect — opening up universities to future antitrust litigation.

Syverud was among a group of executives and administrators from various universities to serve as an ambassador of College Sports Tomorrow, a coalition of leaders in college athletics that advocate for the creation of an alternative college football format — the College Student Football League.

The CSFL would separate the current 136 Football Bowl Subdivision schools into two separate conferences. The top 72 programs would compete in the Power 12 Conference, while the other 64 would belong to a Group of 8 Conference. Schools would then be clustered into smaller divisions geographically.

During the meeting, senators also questioned how the university would fund an extra $20 million expense if it chooses to participate in the revenue-sharing model. Upton said SU has not yet determined how it would do so but described strategies other universities have used. For example, Clemson University recently announced it will add a $150 “athletic fee” to undergraduate tuition to accommodate the new expense.

“That $20 million will go up over time as those revenue streams also go up. Ticket sales, licensing, cable agreements, all of those things will continue to increase,” Upton said. “As to where that money comes from, that’s a big unknown at the moment.”

Tucker and Upton also highlighted additional proposals within the House settlement, which only impact Power Four schools. It will require athletes to report any NIL income they make over $600 and cause roster limits — impacting thousands of non-scholarship athletes nationally, Upton said. At SU, she said these limits will impact dozens of student-athletes.

SU doesn’t plan to cut any teams or sports to accommodate the new expense, Upton said. However, the university may consider limiting the number of non-scholarship athletes on various athletic teams in the future.

The potential unionization of college athletes and updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act were also at the forefront of the senate’s conversations.

In mid-March, Dartmouth College’s men’s basketball team voted to form a union, which could set a precedent for other private colleges to follow. In July, courts ruled that some, but not all, student-athletes may count as employees under FLSA, making them entitled to receive minimum wage and overtime pay, among other benefits.

While it’s not yet clear how these changes to college athletics will impact SU, Upton said the committee will continue to monitor the progress of ongoing litigation, along with their potential mental health effects on athletes.

“The two clear changes that are coming (are) consolidation is continuing … and, if you want to compete at the highest level and enter collegiate sports, it’s going to cost a lot more money,” Syverud said. “What’s undecided and what’s really up for grabs is where that money is coming from, who it’s spent on and how it’s going to be spent.”

Other business:

• The senate held a brief forum on the changes to the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, hosted by Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Lois Agnew. Agnew reviewed SU’s plans to move all human dynamics programs out of Falk by July 1, 2025.
• Senators also discussed Barnes & Noble College’s impending takeover of the SU Campus Store. Syverud said the university has not determined what it plans to do with some of the other retailers housed within the store.
• The senate is building an ad hoc committee on Free Speech & University Policy to review policies modified within the Syracuse Statement, picking up on the conversations during USen’s last meeting on Oct. 23.

Published on November 21, 2024 at 2:11 am

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu