NCAA, Power Five approve settlement sets stage for schools to pay players

A power move by the Power Five conferences and the NCAA. Both sides approved a settlement that allows schools to pay student athletes.

“It should be everywhere that should get paid,” Lehigh head coach Antwan Dixon said. “Because those kids work so hard. I mean their school is getting paid for. But what about their meals? What about their travels?”

This is a new world of college sports than what Dixon experienced when he played collage football at Kent State.

“When I was in college they gave us 400 dollars or 300 dollars on like travel,” Dixon said. “But like after that paying for my carry on bag paying for food through the travel. That 300 is gone in one trip.”

Under this settlement, the NCAA will pay $2.7 billion over 10 years to current and former players dating back to 2016. It also opens the door for a revenue sharing play that would allow schools to pay up to $20 million to student athletes.

With the Power Five programs having an upper hand, how will this impact recruiting high school talent?

“You used to go out and play with your buddies” Riverdale head coach Kendoll Gibson said. “Now its kind of putting pressure on coaches and players like now its a demand to win. A demand to be seen and that’s just the reality of it now. You want to get paid the big bucks, its a business.”