Let’s settle this sh!t

The GIST: On Monday, Judge Claudia Wilken granted preliminary approval of the proposed settlement in House v. NCAA, the lawsuit alleging that the NCAA’s pre-2021 ban on NIL earnings violated antitrust laws.

The background: In May, the parties reached a two-pronged settlement agreement centered around back pay for pre–NIL era student-athletes and future revenue-sharing between schools and athletes.

• Among other concerns, Wilken felt that a stipulation giving the NCAA power to deny athletes’ NIL deals if interpreted as “pay-for-play” was too broadly restrictive. Last month, she required changes before granting approval.

• The parties clarified that the NCAA would only be able to restrict deals with NIL collectives or boosters, which are most closely tied to recruitment. Apparently those changes were enough, as Wilken gave the settlement her blessing on Monday.

What’s next: The final approval hearing is set for April 7th, 2025, but the deal’s not done: Current and former athletes eligible for back pay can opt out (retaining their right to bring another suit later) or file an objection until January 31st, 2025 — and some already have. If enough object, the settlement could still fall through.

The sticking points: The NCAA is concerned about pay-for-play because it unfairly advantages wealthy programs in recruiting, and the proposed restrictions on collectives would effectively allow the NCAA to determine and enforce a “fair-market price” for these types of deals.

• But some settlement objectors say it’s illegal for the org to restrict athletes’ deals with third-party collectives. In other words, if a group wants to pay a quarterback millions of dollars, it should be allowed to without the NCAA’s stamp of approval.

• Other objections to the settlement include concerns about the $2.7B back pay amount, the proposed plan to fund that back pay, and Title IX restrictions. But will they be enough to stop this train? One thing is certain: The legal drama won’t end here.

The GIST: The effects of conference realignment will be on full display tomorrow as the ACC’s original women’s soccer powerhouses travel West to tackle their new Bay Area challengers. Expect the power balance in the nation’s toughest conference to be tested — with some world-class footy taking center-stage.

The vets: No. 2 UNC is the sport’s OG dynasty and a consistent top dog in the ACC. Even without legendary head coach Anson Dorrance, they’re looking lethal: Eight of the Tar Heels’ last 10 matches have been shutouts, giving them the second-best record in Division I (DI) at 12-1-0 (wins, losses, draws).

• Their lone loss came at the hands feet of Duke, whose nine-match win streak earned them yesterday’s poll’s top spot for the first time since 1992. The Blue Devils are always competitive in the ACC, but this season is shaping up to be their best in years.

The newbies: Since joining the ACC this offseason, legacy program No. 7 Stanford is on shaky ground: The Cardinal fell 1–0 to then–No. 13 Wake Forest in their ACC debut before coming to a disappointing 1–1 draw with unranked Pitt. They’ll need to find their footing fast to book a second straight trip to the national championship game.

• On the flip side, No. 17 Cal is thriving in their new conference home behind forward Karlie Lema’s breakout season — the senior’s 13 goals co-lead the nation in scoring rate, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

How to watch: UNC kicks off the coast-to-coast party against Cal tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET, with Duke vs. Stanford taking the pitch at 10 p.m. ET. Then on Sunday, the Carolina gals swap scenery: Cal hosts Duke and Stanford hosts UNC, both at 4 p.m. ET. All matchups will air on ACCNX. LFG!

The GIST: This week’s vibes are all over the map — here’s who’s up, who’s down, and who’s somewhere in between in the week’s biggest NCAA stories.

🔥 JuJu Watkins & Nike: The USC women’s basketball megastar inked a contract extension with the sportswear giant yesterday — and it reportedly involves one of the richest shoe deals in women’s hoops history. Can’t wait for these kicks to drop.

❄️ Transphobia aimed at San Jose State women’s volleyball: Four conference opponents have forfeited their matches with San Jose State after rumors spread that a player on the team is trans. For more details, listen to yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It and read up on why The GIST supports trans athletes.

❓ Vanderbilt football’s finances: The SEC fined its nerdiest member $100K for rushing the field after their team beat then–No. 1 Alabama on Saturday. The Commodores are already selling merch and memorabilia celebrating the historic upset, though, so call it a win-lose-win.

❄️ No. 1 Pitt volleyball’s snapped 36-set win streak: The Panthers remain one of the last two undefeated DI teams, but they did drop their first set of the season in last Friday’s 3-1 win over Boston College. The next streak starts tonight when Pitt faces giant-slayer No. 15 SMU at 7 p.m. ET on ACCN.

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