Landmark Antitrust Class Action Settlement for College Athletes Receives Final Approval

On June 6, 2025, the landmark antitrust class action settlement, secured by Winston & Strawn and Hagens Berman on behalf of college athletes, with the NCAA, Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC was approved by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, resolving three antitrust lawsuits that challenged NCAA limits on compensation and benefits that college athletes can receive for their athletic services and their names, images, and likenesses (NIL).

The NCAA and Power Five conferences will pay $2.78 billion in back damages, over a 10-year period, to thousands of Division I athletes who played since 2016. The settlement also provides for current college athletes to begin receiving revenue in the coming 2025-26 academic year, bringing an end to the decades-long ban by the NCAA on athletes receiving payments from revenue for their sports. Under the deal, Power Five schools can share payments worth up to 22% of their average athletic revenue, which is projected to be approximately $20 million per school the first year and growing.

“We could not be more pleased with this decision or happier for the athletes,” Jeffrey Kessler told Bloomberg Law. “Hundred of thousands of Division I athletes will now have the opportunity to benefit from the tens of billions of dollars in new benefits and compensation that will be available. It is a new era in college sports and a just one for the athletes.”

The settlement was covered by the following media outlets:

• “NCAA Wins Final Approval of $2.8 Billion Player-Pay Deal,” Bloomberg Law
• “Judge Approves NCAA's $2.8B Athlete Revenue Settlement,” Law360
• “Attorneys in NCAA antitrust case to share $475M in fees, with potential to reach $725M,” Associated Press News
• “US judge approves settlement allowing NCAA schools to pay athletes,” Reuters
• “House v. NCAA settlement approved: Landmark decision opens door for revenue sharing in college athletics,” CBS Sports
• “Historic NCAA House Settlement Approved as More Legal Issues Await,” Sportico
• “Attorneys in NCAA Antitrust Case Awarded $475M in Fees,” Competition Policy International
• “US Judge Defers Ruling on $450M Attorney Fees Motion in 'House v. NCAA' Settlement,” The Recorder
• “The biggest winners and losers from House v. NCAA settlement: Amateurism is dead and the class divide grows,” CBS Sports
• “U.S. judge approves settlement allowing NCAA schools to pay athletes,” CNBC Sports
• “House vs. NCAA settlement: Gonzaga, Big East and billable hours the biggest winners (fans, bloat, Olympic sports among the losers),” The Mercury News
• “What House settlement approval means for Alabama: Answering the big questions,” 247Sports
• “Courts approve $2.8 billion settlement with NCAA over student-athlete compensation,” Coach & A.D.