College football players can now be paid directly … In the latest court settlement to rock the college football boat, schools are now free to start paying their athletes directly after a multibillion-dollar legal settlement was formally approved Friday. The deal which was negotiated between the NCAA, the major conferences and lawyers representing DI athletes to resolve several antitrust lawsuits which alleged that the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning power of college athletes. As a result of the agreement, the NCAA will pay nearly $2.8B over the next decade to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 through present day. Each school can now pay its athletes up to roughly $20.5M this year in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive. What it all means is that it could be more tempting to potential draft picks with remaining eligibility to stay in school.
