In a significant development following the recent House v. NCAA settlement approval by California district judge Claudia Wilken, a coalition of women’s sports representatives has announced plans to appeal. This appeal, reported by Pete Nakos of On3 and first highlighted by Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports, alleges violations of Title IX.
The core of the appeal is the contention that the House settlement, which dismantles the longstanding “amateurism” model in college sports, effectively ends the prohibition against financial compensation to athletes while failing to address Title IX directly. Critics argue that this oversight compromises gender equity in college athletics.
Naming eight objectors, the appeal includes prominent athletes such as:
- Kacie Breeding – Vanderbilt cross country runner
- Elizabeth Arnold – College of Charleston soccer player
- Savannah Baron – College of Charleston soccer player
- Lexi Drumm – College of Charleston soccer player
- Riley Hass – College of Charleston soccer player
- Emmie Wannemacher – College of Charleston soccer player
- Emma Appleman – College of Charleston volleyball player
- Kate Johnson – Virginia volleyball player
The appeal has been submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. While the appeal itself is not expected to alter the upcoming revenue-sharing framework, it might postpone the distribution of a $2.8 billion back payment intended for college athletes who opted into the settlement from 2016-2024.
Starting July 1, schools in power conferences, alongside non-power conference institutions that have agreed to the settlement, will be allowed to allocate approximately $20.5 million to athletes. The distribution is anticipated to be significantly skewed, with football programs receiving about 75% of the funds, men’s basketball 15%, women’s basketball 5%, and other sports sharing the remaining 5%. This revenue-sharing model is expected to grow over the coming years.
Furthermore, power conference football programs may gain an additional $13-16 million to enhance their rosters for the 2025 season, as noted by Nakos. Some schools are reportedly adjusting contracts preemptively to utilize agreements made before this new regulatory framework was established, allowing them to navigate around rules introduced by the new Deloitte clearinghouse NIL Go prior to June 7.
Further updates on this situation will be provided as they become available.
