One day before the House vs. NCAA lawsuit was settled, allowing college to pay athletes directly, Penn State football General Manager Andy Frank explained the contingencies, and headaches, he faced. Penn State was less than a month from activating contracts that included revenue sharing, which was not yet in place.
Frank certainly felt better Friday, after a judge approved the settlement, ensuring that it takes effect July 1. He also considered starting a new project.
“I think we [college sports general managers] all plan on writing the book one day on what it all looked like back then,” Frank said.
While many athletic departments wonder how they’re going to pay athletes up to $20.5 million per year, Penn State is aggressively pivoting to college football’s new era. Athletic Director Pat Kraft published a letter in which he said that Penn State is in a “position of strength” regarding revenue sharing and increased scholarships. He also said that next season could be one of our best” regarding Penn State sports.
So how will Penn State approach the terms of the House vs. NCAA settlement? From a wider view, Penn State could be among the athletic departments that benefits most from the new terms of college sports.
How Penn State will handle revenue sharing
Kraft said that Penn State will share revenue to the annual cap, which begins at $20.5 million for the 2025-25 athletic year. Penn State has not detailed how it will divide that money, though Nittany Lions football will receive the largest percentage.
James Franklin’s team could receive 75-80 percent of the $20.5 million, or in the range of $16 million for the first year. In addition, Penn State football players still will be able to negotiate outside Name, Image and Likeness deals as they can now.
Penn State men’s basketball will receive the next-highest percentage, likely in the 10-percent range. The Nittany Lions’ 29 other programs will divide the remaining share. There will be fluidity, though.
