Insider Paul Finebaum claims "enthusiasm has evaporated" amid lawsuits following House vs NCAA settlement

Earlier this month, a resolution of the House v NCAA case occurred, paving the way for schools to directly pay NIL to athletes via revenue sharing. As per the settlement, schools are now permitted to distribute up to $20.5 million in annual NIL revenue.

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While the settlement was seen as an step forward by several coaches, administrators and conference commissioners,multiple lawsuits have been filed in the wake of the decision.

Paul Finebaum, an ESPN personality, mentioned on "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," that he sensed a potential for the agreement to crumble.

"A lot of the original enthusiasm has evaporated, and I think the reality has struck," Finebaum said, per On3. "I give the four Power Four commissioners kudos for showing up and the other people for showing up a week ago and a day, and expressing optimism. And what else are they supposed to do?"

The House vs NCAA settlement will also introduce scholarship cap reform, and retroactive payments to former athletes who were deprived of NIL revenue, which could exceed $2.8 billion.

"They tried to avoid a courtroom. They tried to avoid what could have been the end of what we know as college athletics, and they took a victory lap," Finebaum added. "But since then, I haven’t seen very many positive things. It seemed like, once again, the plaintiff attorneys are out in force. And just like they have done with so many other industries, they are probably going to completely screw up this."

Former women athletes appeal House v NCAA settlement over potential Title IX violations

According to USA Today Sports' Steve Berkowitz, the House v NCAA settlement has already been appealed by a group of former female athletes who have raised possible Title IX violations.

While men will receive $2.4 billion in the settlement, women will receive not even one-tenth of that amount — just $102 million, attorney Leigh Ernst Friestedt stated.

However, Steve Berman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, alleged the Title IX appeal is without merit and will only delay payments to college athletes.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash