Champion 'CUSE FAQs
What is the House settlement?
The House settlement refers to the resolution of a civil class action lawsuit called the “House” case, which was filed by Division I student-athletes – including an athlete named Grant House – against the NCAA and Power 5 conferences (SEC; Big 10; ACC; Pac-12; and Big 12). If the settlement is finalized, it will end three lawsuits that challenge NCAA rules that prohibited student-athletes from earning compensation for certain things, including their name-image-likeness or “NIL” rights. The proposed settlement, which is likely to be approved by the relevant judge between April and June 2025, would result in significant changes to the college athletics landscape, including at Syracuse University.
The settlement consists of three major components:
Direct NIL Payments from Schools to Student-Athletes
Institutions would be able to directly compensate student-athletes for use of their NIL, on top of the benefits they already provide: tuition, meals, housing, health care, etc. The settlement sets a cap for the total pool of money that could be paid to student-athletes for NIL, and schools must decide how much to spend within that cap. The cap for all Power 5 schools is set at 22% of the average media, ticket, and sponsorship revenue at institutions from the Power 5 or “Autonomous Five” conferences. For 2025-26 the cap for each school is approximately $20.5M. The cap will increase over subsequent years.
The settlement would also continue to allow for third-party NIL payments to student-athletes. Third-party NIL payments are those offered by an individual, business or entity that is not Syracuse University (or owned or controlled by Syracuse University). Those third-party payments must be for legitimate business purposes and be at what is determined to be fair market value. Third-party NIL payments will not count towards the institutional cap described above and will be reviewed by an independent clearinghouse to determine compliance with the fair market value rules.
Back Damages
The NCAA agreed to pay approximately $2.8 billion in back damages over a ten-year period to certain current and former college student-athletes who did not have the opportunity to earn compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). These payments are expected to reduce each ACC member’s distribution from the conference by a significant amount over the next 10 years.
Rosters/Scholarships
The settlement sets roster limits for all NCAA-sponsored sports. This is a shift from the previous roster makeup, where each sport had a specific cap on the amount of scholarships that could be awarded. There now will be no cap on scholarships up to the roster limit. That is, each institution can decide how many scholarships to award up to the total number of roster spots for each sport.
What does revenue sharing mean for Syracuse Athletics moving forward?
Syracuse Athletics intends to distribute the maximum NIL payment amount, e.g., spend up to the cap, in 2025-26, something not every institution may elect to do. These payments will be in addition to other scholarships and benefits provided to student-athletes and does not change the athletic department’s mission: creating and fostering a culture of educational and athletic excellence, which holistically prepares student-athletes to be leaders in our global society.
How will Syracuse University fund direct NIL payments to student-athletes?
Since the initial proposal of the House settlement, Syracuse Athletics has worked diligently to identify new incremental revenue opportunities and strategically reduce expenses in key areas. Additionally, support from our fans, donors and businesses is now more impactful than ever to the competitive success of our athletic programs.
Syracuse University’s recently launched Champion ‘CUSE: The Campaign for Syracuse Athletics will focus on attracting and retaining champion-caliber student-athletes, while ensuring they have the best-in-class resources, facilities and the training needed to perform and excel at the highest level.
Does this mark the end of the “Name, Image and Likeness” era?
No, if anything it marks a transformational new era of NIL.
Student-athletes will continue to be able to monetize their NIL moving forward, but will have an additional allowable source of NIL payments: their universities. The current model requires all student-athlete payments to be conducted by third-party entities. Should the House settlement be finalized, schools can pay athletes directly, and they can continue earning contracts with third-parties.
Syracuse Athletics currently has three affiliated third-party NIL entities: SU Football NIL, Athletes Who Care and Orange United, who have been paramount to Syracuse’s athletics success since the inception of NIL and currently still play a major role, especially during this bridge period before the anticipated start of direct institutional NIL payments.
Third-party NIL entities will continue to have a place in the future of college athletics. A strong NIL program will continue to be important to the recruitment and retention of Syracuse student-athletes. In this new era, Syracuse University will continue to be a national leader educating student-athletes to monetize their NIL, as it has since the inception of NIL.
Syracuse is believed to be the first institution in the country to create a Name Image and Likeness course. Established in the Department of Sport Management in the Falk College of Sport in 2021, students collaborate with industry professionals to build a brand and ultimately monetize opportunities.
Syracuse Athletics also has financial literacy training, assists student-athletes in building their online brands and has partnerships with industry leading companies centered around NIL with the mission of helping student-athletes navigate this ever-changing landscape.
What are ways I can support Syracuse Athletics?
There are a multitude of ways that people can support Syracuse Athletics and directly impact its competitive success. Through the new Champion ‘CUSE: The Campaign for Syracuse Athletics, a $50 million campaign donors can pledge support in this new era of college athletics. A priority for the University, funds from this campaign will be utilized for four key areas:
There are also ways businesses can support Syracuse Athletics. You can become a corporate partner through Learfield and/or work directly with Syracuse student-athletes to utilize their name, image and likeness for your business.
How Are Donations to Champion ‘CUSE Stewarded?
Gifts towards Champion ‘CUSE are part of the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund (‘CAF), and as a result, your contribution makes you a ‘CAF donor and counts towards your annual giving level and provides you priority points. Learn more about ‘CAF benefits and priority points.
Gifts to Champion ‘CUSE are also eligible for recognition in the Legends Society. Legends Society donors make a commitment of $25,000 or more over a five-year period ($5,000+ per year). Legends Society donors receive special opportunities, including exclusive event invitations, apparel, parking and ticket benefits and more. To learn more about the Legends Society, contact Jordie Kindervater at jckinder@syr.edu or (315) 443-1419.
What does this mean for Syracuse Athletics?
Syracuse Athletics, including our coaching staffs, are very optimistic about our place as a national leader under the upcoming framework. While college athletics continues to undergo seismic transformation, our mission continues to be the same: to compete for championships both at the national and ACC level, provide a world-class education, and to develop our student-athletes.
The House settlement refers to the resolution of a civil class action lawsuit called the “House” case, which was filed by Division I student-athletes – including an athlete named Grant House – against the NCAA and Power 5 conferences (SEC; Big 10; ACC; Pac-12; and Big 12). If the settlement is finalized, it will end three lawsuits that challenge NCAA rules that prohibited student-athletes from earning compensation for certain things, including their name-image-likeness or “NIL” rights. The proposed settlement, which is likely to be approved by the relevant judge between April and June 2025, would result in significant changes to the college athletics landscape, including at Syracuse University.
The settlement consists of three major components:
Direct NIL Payments from Schools to Student-Athletes
Institutions would be able to directly compensate student-athletes for use of their NIL, on top of the benefits they already provide: tuition, meals, housing, health care, etc. The settlement sets a cap for the total pool of money that could be paid to student-athletes for NIL, and schools must decide how much to spend within that cap. The cap for all Power 5 schools is set at 22% of the average media, ticket, and sponsorship revenue at institutions from the Power 5 or “Autonomous Five” conferences. For 2025-26 the cap for each school is approximately $20.5M. The cap will increase over subsequent years.
The settlement would also continue to allow for third-party NIL payments to student-athletes. Third-party NIL payments are those offered by an individual, business or entity that is not Syracuse University (or owned or controlled by Syracuse University). Those third-party payments must be for legitimate business purposes and be at what is determined to be fair market value. Third-party NIL payments will not count towards the institutional cap described above and will be reviewed by an independent clearinghouse to determine compliance with the fair market value rules.
Back Damages
The NCAA agreed to pay approximately $2.8 billion in back damages over a ten-year period to certain current and former college student-athletes who did not have the opportunity to earn compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). These payments are expected to reduce each ACC member’s distribution from the conference by a significant amount over the next 10 years.
Rosters/Scholarships
The settlement sets roster limits for all NCAA-sponsored sports. This is a shift from the previous roster makeup, where each sport had a specific cap on the amount of scholarships that could be awarded. There now will be no cap on scholarships up to the roster limit. That is, each institution can decide how many scholarships to award up to the total number of roster spots for each sport.
Syracuse Athletics intends to distribute the maximum NIL payment amount, e.g., spend up to the cap, in 2025-26, something not every institution may elect to do. These payments will be in addition to other scholarships and benefits provided to student-athletes and does not change the athletic department’s mission: creating and fostering a culture of educational and athletic excellence, which holistically prepares student-athletes to be leaders in our global society.
Since the initial proposal of the House settlement, Syracuse Athletics has worked diligently to identify new incremental revenue opportunities and strategically reduce expenses in key areas. Additionally, support from our fans, donors and businesses is now more impactful than ever to the competitive success of our athletic programs.
Syracuse University’s recently launched Champion ‘CUSE: The Campaign for Syracuse Athletics will focus on attracting and retaining champion-caliber student-athletes, while ensuring they have the best-in-class resources, facilities and the training needed to perform and excel at the highest level.
No, if anything it marks a transformational new era of NIL.
Student-athletes will continue to be able to monetize their NIL moving forward, but will have an additional allowable source of NIL payments: their universities. The current model requires all student-athlete payments to be conducted by third-party entities. Should the House settlement be finalized, schools can pay athletes directly, and they can continue earning contracts with third-parties.
Syracuse Athletics currently has three affiliated third-party NIL entities: SU Football NIL, Athletes Who Care and Orange United, who have been paramount to Syracuse’s athletics success since the inception of NIL and currently still play a major role, especially during this bridge period before the anticipated start of direct institutional NIL payments.
Third-party NIL entities will continue to have a place in the future of college athletics. A strong NIL program will continue to be important to the recruitment and retention of Syracuse student-athletes. In this new era, Syracuse University will continue to be a national leader educating student-athletes to monetize their NIL, as it has since the inception of NIL.
Syracuse is believed to be the first institution in the country to create a Name Image and Likeness course. Established in the Department of Sport Management in the Falk College of Sport in 2021, students collaborate with industry professionals to build a brand and ultimately monetize opportunities.
Syracuse Athletics also has financial literacy training, assists student-athletes in building their online brands and has partnerships with industry leading companies centered around NIL with the mission of helping student-athletes navigate this ever-changing landscape.
There are a multitude of ways that people can support Syracuse Athletics and directly impact its competitive success. Through the new Champion ‘CUSE: The Campaign for Syracuse Athletics, a $50 million campaign donors can pledge support in this new era of college athletics. A priority for the University, funds from this campaign will be utilized for four key areas:
- Win Championships: pursue excellence at the highest level and win ACC and national championships, empowering student-athletes to reach their highest potential and excel on the biggest stages.
- Cultivate Champion-Caliber Teams: provide the resources necessary to attract and retain the nation’s best student-athletes and coaches and deliver state-of-the-art facilities and elite training resources that give our teams the competitive edge.
- Level Up the Student-Athlete Experience: support Syracuse’s 550-plus student-athletes with comprehensive programs that prepare them to excel in competition, academics and their future careers.
- Strengthen the Orange Brand: elevate Syracuse Athletics’ prominence on the national stage while uniting our community and inspiring the next generation through a commitment to breaking barriers and setting new records.
There are also ways businesses can support Syracuse Athletics. You can become a corporate partner through Learfield and/or work directly with Syracuse student-athletes to utilize their name, image and likeness for your business.
Gifts towards Champion ‘CUSE are part of the ‘Cuse Athletics Fund (‘CAF), and as a result, your contribution makes you a ‘CAF donor and counts towards your annual giving level and provides you priority points. Learn more about ‘CAF benefits and priority points.
Gifts to Champion ‘CUSE are also eligible for recognition in the Legends Society. Legends Society donors make a commitment of $25,000 or more over a five-year period ($5,000+ per year). Legends Society donors receive special opportunities, including exclusive event invitations, apparel, parking and ticket benefits and more. To learn more about the Legends Society, contact Jordie Kindervater at jckinder@syr.edu or (315) 443-1419.
Syracuse Athletics, including our coaching staffs, are very optimistic about our place as a national leader under the upcoming framework. While college athletics continues to undergo seismic transformation, our mission continues to be the same: to compete for championships both at the national and ACC level, provide a world-class education, and to develop our student-athletes.
