Morgan State University has made a huge move, announcing that they’ve opted into the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, a $2.7 billion resolution aimed at addressing past restrictions on student-athlete compensation. Morgan State, an HBCU program that competes in the Mideastern Athletic Conference, joins several Power Five athletic programs with the aims of fostering a more equitable and sustainable approach to collegiate athletics.
The settlement, which compensates former and current athletes denied opportunities to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) prior to NCAA policy changes in 2021, also introduces a revenue-sharing framework. This new model enables institutions to directly allocate resources to student-athletes while maintaining compliance with NCAA guidelines.
“Morgan’s decision to opt into the House v. NCAA settlement reflects our unwavering commitment to student-athlete success and our proactive approach to navigating the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “With the full support of our Board of Regents, we believe this decision is in the best interest of our institution, ensuring compliance, stability, and new opportunities for our student-athletes moving forward.”
Under the settlement’s provisions, Morgan will contribute approximately $231,227 to the payout fund and implement revised roster and scholarship limits. For example, the football team’s roster size will decrease from 130 to 105 players, to align with compliance requirements while allowing the university to expand opportunities in Olympic sports under Title IX regulations. Other teams, including men’s and women’s basketball and tennis, will also adopt adjusted roster limits.
Despite the adjustments, Morgan State anticipates benefits such as increased institutional control over NIL revenue-sharing and access to alternative funding sources, including foundation and university-driven revenue initiatives, to further enhance student-athlete support.
“Opting in ensures that we remain competitive while continuing to prioritize the well-being and success of our student-athletes,” said Dena Freeman-Patton, vice president and director for Intercollegiate Athletics at Morgan State. “This decision allows us to leverage institutional resources strategically, invest in our programs, and create pathways for financial support beyond traditional NIL opportunities. Ultimately, this strengthens our ability to recruit, retain, and support the next generation of Morgan Bear athletes.”
While Power Five conference schools were automatically included in the settlement, Division I institutions like Morgan State had to opt in individually or through their athletic conferences by the March 1 deadline. Morgan State independently decided, separate from the MEAC, to take part in a landmark move in college athletics.
HBCU leaders have remained active amid the ongoing changes in the NCAA. Last week, The HBCU athletic commissioners of the SIAC, CIAA, SWAC, and MEAC wrote a letter to Congress addressing the future of HBCU athletics amid significant changes in the sports landscape, per reporting by HBCU Gameday.
The letter highlighted critical issues such as conference realignment, the growing NIL space, revenue-sharing debates, and the potential classification of college athletes as university employees. They urged the Congressional Black Caucus to include HBCUs in these conversations and take their perspectives into account.
“While there have been historic changes recently in collegiate sports to support student-athletes overall, opportunities for our predominantly Black students at our institutions are at risk. Pending regulatory decisions and litigation threaten to change the face of college sports devoid of our input and, more importantly, without the voices of our student-athletes, administrators and us as commissioners leading our conferences being considered,” the letter stated.
“To ensure that college sports broadly – and HBCU sports especially – can continue to thrive, it’s essential that Congress allow for consistent and nimble national governance and affirm that student-athletes are not designated as employees of their universities,” the commissioners also said in the letter.
Morgan State’s move to join the settlement puts the athletic department on the cutting edge of the next era of the NCAA and sets an interesting precedent for HBCUs in the NIL and revenue-sharing era.
The post HBCU joins House v. NCAA settlement in huge move appeared first on ClutchPoints.
