A ruling in the House v. NCAA settlement is finally expected this week, and part of the resolution will include a new enforcement organization and CEO to oversee college athletics, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The NCAA will continue to enforce a number of items, including eligibility rules, sports betting rules, academic requirements, and others, while a new entity called the College Sports Commission will oversee the new revenue sharing cap and NIL clearinghouse. Thamel reports the CEO of said commission could be announced quickly after the House settlement goes final.
The Power Four commissioners are in charge of hiring and are now working on appointing the first CEO. At a time when numerous leaders in college athletics are pleading for direction on NIL, revenue sharing, and the numerous, ever-present issues in the contemporary environment, the person assigned to head the College Sports Commission will immediately assume one of the most important positions in the sport.
According to Thamel, the expectation is the CEO will likely hail from outside the college athletics universe and is not expected to be a household name to college sports fans. The CEO will earn a seven-figure salary.
The CEO of the College Sports Commission will answer to a board including the Power Four commissioners after the commission assumes authority after the House settlement is finalized. The executive will be in charge of the newly put in place processes, such as the clearinghouse for NIL deals and the $20 million revenue-sharing compensation cap.
The NCAA is oft-criticized for its handling of rules violations.
The lack of enforcement with regard to the transfer portal, NIL and tampering in particular drew the ire of college coaches and fans alike.
In the midst of the ongoing House settlement hearings, Kirk Ferentz, the coach of Iowa football, stated last month, “We still have no idea what the rules are here for August.” “Take a moment to consider that. College football is fairly significant. The operation is large. a substantial amount of money. Revenue is the only topic we discuss these days. We still don’t know the rules, and there’s a lot on the line. To be honest, it demonstrates exactly how messed up things are.
The idea of a CEO overseeing college athletics is hardly novel. A handful of prominent college football coaches said this offseason that college football would benefit from hiring a commissioner to manage and enforce rules. Some, including James Franklin, Chip Kelly and Kirby Smart, said that former Alabama coach Nick Saban would be the ideal candidate for such a job.
“I think one of the most important things that we can do is, let’s get a commissioner of college football that is waking up every single morning and going to bed every single night, making decisions that’s in the best interest of college football,” Franklin stated during the 2024 College Football Playoff. “I think Nick Saban would be the obvious choice.”