Context:

In a significant $2.8 billion legal case affecting college sports, attorney Steve Berman anticipates that an updated agreement with the NCAA will address a judge's concerns over roster limits, which have delayed the settlement's approval. Berman is working on a proposal to offer solutions to athletes who lost roster spots due to changes in roster limits, although details remain unclear about whether these athletes will return to their original teams. The settlement includes provisions for schools to pay athletes up to $20.5 million for NIL deals and nearly $2.8 billion in back pay for players previously denied NIL earnings. Despite some opposition, Berman is optimistic that the revised deal will secure roster spots for most objecting athletes and criticized Nick Saban for his stance on the financial changes in college sports. Saban, who has profited significantly from college football, has urged for regulation of NIL compensation and expressed concerns about the system resembling a 'pay for play' model, which the NCAA aims to avoid.

Dive Deeper:

• Attorney Steve Berman, involved in a $2.8 billion legal case, believes a revised agreement with the NCAA will address judicial concerns about roster limits, aiming to finalize the settlement by the judge's deadline. He has prepared a chart to manage the objections from athletes affected by roster changes, promising resolutions for nearly all.

• The updated agreement is expected to resolve issues surrounding scholarship limits by transitioning to roster limits, potentially increasing overall scholarship funds but risking the displacement of thousands of athletes from their teams.

• U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken has previously approved other aspects of the settlement, such as schools' ability to pay athletes up to $20.5 million for NIL deals and distributing nearly $2.8 billion in back pay to athletes deprived of NIL earnings.

• Negotiations are ongoing, and while the NCAA has refrained from commenting during this process, Berman expressed confidence in restoring roster spots for most athletes who objected to the changes.

• Berman criticized former Alabama football coach Nick Saban for influencing President Trump to intervene in NIL compensations, arguing that an executive order would likely face legal challenges and questioning Saban's motivations given his substantial earnings from college football.

• Nick Saban, despite his financial success in college football, has advocated for rules governing NIL payments to prevent a 'pay for play' scenario, highlighting the NCAA's intent to avoid such a model.

• The NCAA's initial proposal to maintain current roster changes faced judicial pushback, with the judge emphasizing that any disruptions were a consequence of the NCAA and its member schools' decisions.