NCAA Athletes Get Mixed Reactions to Settlement Payout Estimates

NCAA competitors have begun to obtain their projected settlement amounts from the House v. NCAA class action lawsuit, with the figures being greater than initially anticipated for some lower-tier athletes while being less than expected for several more accomplished collegiate swimmers.

SwimSwam obtained verification from two sources, both of whom were former NCAA Division I swimmers, that their estimated payments had been announced. All distributions are pending final confirmation of the House settlement, which is anticipated in the upcoming months. The court is scheduled to conduct a final approval hearing to determine whether to endorse the settlement on April 7, 2025.

One swimmer, a male competitor from an SEC institution who reached the C-finals at the SEC Championships, is projected to receive about $286.92 in compensation for athletic services. As an accomplished student, that swimmer is also projected to obtain an extra $3,140.17 in Alston Award funds, which are specifically designated for schools to grant based on academic performance. According to the NCAA, institutions can contribute up to $5,980 per year for the Alston Award.

Another athlete informed SwimSwam that she is projected to receive $426.00 in athletic services compensation after competing at a PAC-12 school for two years. Throughout those years, the swimmer competed in the PAC-12 Championships but did not score. Alongside her athletic remuneration, she is estimated to receive $813.36 for the Alston Award, which the swimmer indicated is the outstanding balance that her school currently owes her from a past Alston Award.

One NCAA Champion, however, expressed disappointment regarding their outcome, stating that they received similar compensation to their teammates who did not experience as much success in competition. That swimmer reported approximately $600 in projected athletic compensation in addition to $3,100 in Alston Award payments.

The House v. NCAA lawsuit, brought forth by former ASU Swimmer Grant House along with TCU women’s basketball player Sedona Prince, is anticipated to significantly alter the domain of college athletics. The lawsuit facilitates revenue sharing between institutions and athletes, allowing direct revenue produced by university sports teams to be allocated to their players. Moreover, it will distribute $2.8 billion in backpay over a decade to NCAA athletes who primarily competed from 2016 to 2021, with athletes starting to witness the outcomes of these payments.

When the case received preliminary approval in October 2024, concerns were voiced regarding how the lawsuit might affect non-revenue sports like swimming and diving. One of the substantial changes for swimming and diving programs is that under the preliminarily approved settlement, scholarship limitations have been eliminated in favor of roster limits. Sources informed SwimSwam in October that the SEC will implement a 22-athlete roster limit on men’s swimming and diving teams.

If Judge Claudia Wilken grants final approval for the preliminary settlement at the April hearing, payments are expected to be completed and distributed shortly thereafter.

SwimSwam is keen on gathering information regarding the estimated compensation for former NCAA swimmers. Interested in contributing? Please submit the form below with your information.

SwimSwam’s House v NCAA Compensation Reporting Form

To obtain your estimate, navigate to collegeathletecompensation.com, scroll down, and click “To view your estimated payment amounts, click HERE.” Then provide your NCAA eligibility number or the information from your claims email. If you have yet to submit your claim, locate your NCAA eligibility number in old emails received during the recruitment process or contact the NCAA eligibility office at 1-877-262-1492. The final date to submit a claim is January 31, 2025.

We require your name and school to confirm that the form was submitted by you, but if you request anonymity, we will only disclose your achievements, e.g., “a 3-year swimmer in the SEC who qualified for NCAAs once but did not score.”