On June 6, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement—launching a new era for college athletics.
This ruling creates a foundation for greater stability, fairness, and opportunity for student-athletes—and affirms what we at Vanderbilt have long believed: transformation, when grounded in mission and values, creates opportunity.
As we continue to build the great university of the 21st century, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a championship-caliber student-athlete experience that integrates academic and athletic excellence and strengthens our One Vanderbilt community.
The newly formed College Sports Commission, led by Bryan Seeley—former MLB executive and a respected voice in sports law—and its partners, Deloitte and LBi Software, will be responsible for ensuring compliance and supporting institutions through this transition.
While the settlement offers a clearer, more structured path forward, we will continue to work with our legislative partners on potential federal solutions that can bring long-term stability and consistency to the college athletics landscape.
Key pillars of the new model include:
Revenue sharing: Beginning with the 2025–26 academic year, SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten institutions may share up to 22 percent of defined athletics revenue with student-athletes—estimated at up to $20.5 million per school.
Scholarship expansion: With scholarship limits removed, universities now have more flexibility to offer educational opportunities to a broader range of student-athletes across sports. Removing scholarship limits gives schools the flexibility to better support student-athletes and their education, while supporting the long-term success of broad-based sports programs. Current and immediately incoming student-athletes who may have been adversely impacted by roster limits will still have the opportunity to earn a roster spot.
NIL conditions: The new NIL Go platform, managed by the College Sports Commission and its partners, Deloitte and LBi Software, will streamline the reporting and approval process for third-party NIL agreements—enhancing transparency while protecting student-athletes’ eligibility.
Our recent launch of Vanderbilt Enterprises and the appointment of Markus Schreyer as CEO underscore our readiness to embrace innovative models that support excellence in education, research, and athletics.
We are also preparing for the financial responsibility that comes with this new model and remain focused on driving strategic initiatives like Vandy United and advancing the mission of Vanderbilt Athletics. With your support, we will continue to set the standard in this new era.
This is a defining time for college sports. Though much is changing, the essence of what athletics represent—community, growth, discipline, excellence—remains firmly intact.
We are ready to lead. And together, we will succeed.
Anchor Down!
Daniel Diermeier
Chancellor
Candice Storey Lee
Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director
English (US) ·