From the Desk of Jeremiah Donati, No. 5

DEAR GAMECOCKS:

A new era of college sports is upon us. Last night, Judge Claudia Wilken officially approved the House v. NCAA settlement, which will fundamentally change how college athletics departments around the country operate. This settlement has paved the way for us to directly share revenue with student-athletes, allowing more opportunities than ever to financially benefit during their participation in college athletics.

Since my arrival to campus in January, our department has been working diligently to implement a response plan to ensure we can continue to succeed at the highest levels. While we will continue to evolve and adapt to these new rules, I wanted to reach out and let you know how this settlement will impact college athletics moving forward.

BENEFITS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES

Beginning July 1, we will be able to distribute up to $20.5 million in revenue directly to our student-athletes, in what will be known as inside the cap dollars. This number will increase by 4% annually.

Our student-athletes will still have the ability to continue to build their personal brands through third-party NIL deals (outside the cap dollars), as long as those deals meet the standards set by the new framework in the settlement.

The settlement also removes scholarship limits on sports. This will allow us to offer more scholarships to more student-athletes than ever before allowing us the flexibility to provide more education opportunities to more student-athletes beyond the previous limits.

Our student-athletes will also continue to receive all the support services that make college athletics so valuable. This includes academic support, medical care, mental health resources and career development opportunities.

THE COLLEGE SPORTS COMMISSION

The newly established College Sports Commission will seek to ensure compliance with the new rules around roster limits, revenue sharing and student-athlete third-party NIL deals. They will be responsible for enforcing these new rules and will investigate any violations of the rules. The Commission will be separate from the NCAA and will only enforce settlement-related rules.

Learn more about the College Sports Commission

REVENUE SHARE FRAMEWORK

Our department plans to distribute the maximum amount of inside the cap dollars to our student-athletes. To help us and schools around the country manage these payments, the College Sports Commission and LBi Software have developed a comprehensive cap management system known as the College Athlete Payment System (CAPS). This platform will help ensure revenue sharing with student-athletes is appropriately reported and compliant with the rules of the new system.

THIRD-PARTY NIL DEALS

Student-athletes will be able to continue receiving compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness through third-party NIL deals. The Commission, with assistance from Deloitte, has created a new platform called NIL Go that will be used for third-party NIL deal reporting.

Any third-party NIL deal with a total value of $600 or more will need to be reported by student-athletes using the NIL Go. The platform will ensure that the third-party NIL deals are made with the purpose of using a student-athlete’s NIL for a valid business purpose and that the value does not exceed a reasonable range of compensation.

WHAT’S NEXT NATIONALLY

The approval of the settlement is a pivotal step to help provide a clear path forward for college athletics. However, for this model to succeed, we continue to believe that bipartisan federal legislation that establishes a national framework for all schools and states to follow is the best way to ensure long-term stability of this new model.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR GAMECOCK ATHLETICS

We are continuing to reassess our operations, redefine our proprieties and expand our staff to meet the demands of this new era of college athletics. Our goal is to remain proactive, strategic and student-athlete centered, ensuring that we continue to compete and succeed at the highest levels.

There are several meaningful ways you can support our student-athletes and be a part of this new era.

• Follow our student-athletes on social media: A student-athlete’s digital presence can significantly impact their outside-the-cap NIL earning potential. We’ve partnered with a platform that helps student-athletes enhance and leverage their online profiles. Every like, comment and follow makes a difference.
• Explore third-party NIL partnership opportunities: Businesses interested in sponsoring or collaborating with our student-athletes can visit our Gamecock NIL Partnership Form to learn more.
• Support the Gamecock Club: The Gamecock Club will continue to remain a cornerstone of our student-athlete system. Amid this changing landscape, the Gamecock Club’s role is more vital that ever in helping us fulfill our mission.

For those interested in learning more about the house settlement and it’s impact, feel free to visit our House v. NCAA Settlement page.

This new era is an exciting time for college athletics, and it will take us all to ensure that it succeeds. As our department continues to evolve to maximize the impact these changes will have on college athletics, I will continue to update you on our progress and ways you can be a part of this mission.