AROUND NIL | $16 million flows to athletes as direct payouts begin

Non-revenue sports athletes take aim at House settlement payouts

July 3, 2025—On July 2, two appeals hit the Ninth Circuit, both taking aim at the House settlement’s compensation formula. Former college wrestlers Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers/Northwestern) and Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) argue the settlement draws its lines for damages too narrowly, leaving many athletes out. They contend the back pay formula unfairly sidelines athletes in non-revenue sports like wrestling, compared to the windfall set aside for football and basketball. Arkansas football walk-on Ryan Phillips filed separately, representing himself. He objects to the exclusion of walk-ons from the damages class, arguing that players like him—who often played key roles—are unfairly left out of the settlement’s compensation scheme. Both filings challenge who gets recognized and compensated, putting the spotlight on equity and how the settlement defines value across college sports.

Paul Chang, a former Virginia walk-on, competes at the 2024 U.S. Amateur. Walk-ons like Chang remain part of the ongoing appeal challenging how the House settlement handles backpay and compensation. | Chris Keane/USGA

College athletes receive over $16 million in direct revenue share as new compensation era begins

July 3, 2025—Opendorse and Teamworks moved the needle on July 1, distributing more than $16 million in direct revenue share to college athletes as the new era of athlete compensation officially kicked off. That figure, eye-catching on its own, captures only the payouts channeled through their systems—leaving out the undisclosed sums routed via PayPal to Big Ten and Big 12 athletes. Schools provided athlete lists and payout amounts, and the platforms managed the distribution, streamlining the process for athletic departments.

The Day 1 windfall is just part of the bigger picture. In June alone, collectives funneled over $71 million to athletes, racing to finalize deals before tighter regulations took hold. While Opendorse hasn’t released a sport-specific breakdown for the $16 million, historical trends hold: football and men’s basketball receive the largest shares, with women’s basketball, baseball, and other sports, like golf, receiving smaller portions.

Fifth appeal challenges NCAA settlement over gender pay gap

July 4, 2025—A fifth appeal has landed in the House v. NCAA saga, this time with MoloLamken at the helm for a group of female athletes: Kacie Breeding (Vanderbilt, cross country/track), Elizabeth Arnold, Savannah Baron, Lexi Drumm, Riley Hass, and Emmie Wannemacher (all College of Charleston, soccer), Emma Appleman (College of Charleston, volleyball), and Kate Johnson (Virginia, volleyball).

The $2.8 billion settlement, already a flashpoint in college sports, is now under fresh scrutiny for how it divides compensation among former athletes. MoloLamken’s core argument, filed Thursday, is that the payout structure violates Title IX, since it steers a much larger share to male athletes, leaving women with a fraction of the total—a disparity the firm frames as clear gender discrimination.

The objection goes beyond just the money: MoloLamken also points to the settlement’s new roster limits, which have forced some athletes off teams and, in their view, compound the unfairness. Judge Claudia Wilken flagged the roster caps as a key issue before signing off, insisting on a “grandfathering” clause to protect current athletes from being cut. While the 9th Circuit gears up for review, the fate of the settlement’s back pay remains in limbo, even as the broader shift toward athlete revenue sharing moves ahead.