According to Athletic Director Darren Dunn this month, the University of Northern Colorado must embrace innovative thinking, strategic planning, and local support to succeed in the evolving landscape of collegiate sports.
The world of college athletics, already in disarray, experienced another shift in early June. A California federal judge officially approved the settlement of a five-year-old antitrust case involving six former Division I athletes and the NCAA. This ruling permits universities to start compensating athletes directly, starting July 1.
For the last four years, college athletes in Division I could make money from sponsorships, endorsements, social media, and other business deals, but they couldn't get paid directly by their universities. Besides allowing schools to directly pay athletes, the settlement will also alter the rules governing these "Name, Image, and Likeness" (NIL) payments.
UNC chose to accept the settlement's conditions.
This is a monumental shift," Dunn stated. "It represents a major achievement in collegiate sports, and it will require our staff to put in considerably more effort – keeping abreast of current developments, creating avenues for our student-athletes, and maintaining our winning record. Ultimately, that's the core objective here.
University of Colorado's men's basketball coach, Tad Boyle (on the left), is pictured with Darren Dunn, the athletic director of the University of Northern Colorado, at Boyle's induction ceremony into the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame. The event took place on Friday, September 13, 2024, at the University Center on the UNC campus in Greeley. Boyle, who hails from Greeley, served as UNC's head coach from 2006 to 2010, his inaugural head coaching position in Division I. During his tenure, he revitalized the program as it moved from Division II. (Photo by Woody Myers/University of Northern Colorado).
The House v. NCAA settlement stipulates that approximately $2.6 billion will be distributed as retroactive compensation over the coming decade to all Division I athletes who participated in collegiate sports between 2016 and 2024. The NCAA will partially finance this payout by annually reducing various funding allocations to institutions and conferences.
At the University of North Carolina, this translates to an annual deficit of approximately $310,000 for the coming ten years. According to Deputy Commissioner Dan Satter, the Big Sky Conference, where UNC holds full membership, will experience a yearly shortfall of roughly $2.7 million, stemming from reductions across its ten full-member institutions and the conference headquarters throughout the payout period.
Satter stated that it's crucial to have input and be heard. She added that it's definitely disheartening to lack that opportunity and face financial consequences that are excessive compared to the athletes affected within the Big Sky Conference, as demonstrated by the settlement.
The NCAA, along with the now-dubbed "power" conferences – formerly known as the five major conferences: Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, Southeastern, and Atlantic Coast – were the parties being sued.
As detailed in the 76-page settlement agreement, the six former Division I student-athletes—Grant House, Sedona Price, Tymir Oliver, Nya Harrison, DeWayne Carter, and Nicholas Solomon—acted as representatives for the settlement's three classes.
During a women's basketball summer practice at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, UNC guard London Gamble is seen dribbling the ball while teammate Tatum West looks on. (UNC Athletics)
The settlement included categories for football and men's basketball players, women's basketball players, and athletes in other sports. These categories were established according to the athletes' potential to earn money in their respective sports.
As per the agreement, the settlement funds will be divided, with $1.976 billion allocated to NIL claims and $600 million earmarked for supplemental compensation claims.
The NIL settlement includes $71.5 million designated for video game appearances or injuries sustained by football and men's basketball players. It also allocates $1.815 billion for broadcasting rights related to football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. Finally, $89.5 million is earmarked for third-party injury claims across all three groups of athletes who received NIL compensation after July 2021.
The extra compensation, totaling $600 million, includes $570 million for athletes in Power 5 football and men's basketball, and $30 million for athletes in other sports.
Zach Bloch, a graduate student and guard on the University of Northern Colorado men's basketball team, is shown dribbling during a summer workout in 2025 at the Bank of Colorado in Greeley. Bloch will be returning for his fifth season with the Bears in the 2025-26 season. (UNC Athletics).
The settlement's conditions applied to all schools within the conferences named as defendants. Division I schools in other conferences were only obligated to follow the settlement if they chose to participate. Satter stated that no representatives from Division I schools outside the Power 5 Conferences were included in the settlement process.
He stated that the conference is optimistic about its role in collegiate sports, as the Big Sky embodies the qualities that draw fans to athletics.
Satter stated that they intend to increasingly embody the qualities that initially attracted people to college sports, moving towards a more conventional structure, unlike the FBS and especially the Power 4 conferences.
UNC's head football coach, Ed Lamb, stated that the opt-in is not expected to greatly affect the Bears' program. Lamb emphasized the importance of having a shared vision with university leaders, from President Andy Feinstein to Dunn and himself, in "alignment to do everything we can do to be competitive."
Lamb expressed his desire to ascertain whether university administrators were committed to remaining in the Football Championship Subdivision and believed the Big Sky Conference was the appropriate fit for UNC.
"And I get the sense that's how the university's administration feels," Lamb stated.
Lamb stated that the most significant way he can influence revenue is by focusing on winning. The coach is about to start his third season with the Bears, a team that has only managed one victory in the last 23 games over the past two seasons. Preseason training kicks off on Monday.
Lamb stated that winning will lead to increased attendance and revenue from tickets. He added that a successful football team usually correlates with higher student enrollment, and these are the aspects he needs to prioritize.
The University of Northern Colorado's football team is practicing at the UNC fields in Greeley. (UNC Athletics)
Steve Smiley, the coach of the UNC men's basketball team, expressed his satisfaction with the university's decision to agree to the settlement's conditions.
UNC administrators initially felt uneasy about agreeing to the proposed conditions. The university's primary concern revolved around a specific aspect of the agreement that affected team roster limitations. While the settlement eliminates restrictions on the number of scholarships, schools that choose to participate will have roster size caps, although these rules include a grandfathering provision.
Before the parties involved finalized the agreement through discussions and negotiations, schools choosing to participate in the settlement might have faced roster reductions. Now, schools that choose to join the settlement are no longer obligated to reduce the number of players on their rosters.
UNC and other institutions in the Big Sky Conference were worried about roster sizes due to declining enrollment income, a path UNC was keen to avoid. For years, the university has strived to bolster its financial footing by increasing student numbers.
Dunn stated that the prior settlement draft would have resulted in UNC teams losing roughly 50 roster positions. According to him, this translates to approximately $1 million in enrollment income.
Smiley commented that staff reductions are undesirable. He also mentioned that his team is prepared for the 2025-26 season and that House's contributions will be considered when planning for subsequent seasons. "Based on my conversations with others, it seems like this will provide the greatest operational freedom going forward, which I believe is beneficial. Our department saw no drawbacks, especially knowing we wouldn't have to cut any student-athletes."
Dunn mentioned that UNC chose to join the settlement for a few additional reasons. Firstly, the university aims to compete at the highest echelon of Division I sports. Secondly, it desires to enhance the resources available to its athletes. The specific methods of compensating athletes are still being debated and planned. This is where UNC's desire to be more innovative and strategic comes into play.
Krista Francia, a junior at the University of Northern Colorado, chases down a Sacramento State player for an out during a Big Sky Conference matchup at Gloria Rodriguez Field in Greeley in 2025. (Photo by Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)
As of July 18, according to Dunn, the university hadn't directly compensated any student-athletes through NIL deals. This excludes payments from the Bear Pride Collective, summer school funding, and Alston academic bonuses.
Dunn stated that the university must independently create income to compensate athletes, and this can be done in several ways. Some of the easiest methods include securing sponsorships, engaging in fundraising activities, and arranging game guarantees. Game guarantees involve a larger institution, like the University of Colorado, paying a smaller one, such as UNC, a certain amount of money to compete at the larger school's venue.
In 2028 and 2031, the Bears football team is scheduled to play against the Buffs at Folsom Field in Boulder. For these two matchups, UNC will be paid $1.05 million in total. Additionally, UNC football is set to earn $825,000 for two games against Wyoming in 2026 and 2030, as per reports.FBSchedules.com earlier this month.
Last year, the women's basketball team participated in a guaranteed game at Brigham Young University. Dunn mentioned that these types of games could bring in anywhere between a few thousand and $50,000.
This kind of funding could potentially be used to compensate athletes, according to Representative Dunn. He also mentioned hearing about other institutions adding a surcharge to tickets as a way to increase their income.
Regarding the House v. NCAA case, UNC stated that this evolving landscape will demand unparalleled cooperation among the athletic department, alumni, and the Greeley community.
Dunn stated earlier this month that, to stay competitive, they need broader participation. He pointed out the significant number of local residents who aren't alumni and the presence of thriving businesses. He believes that their success will enhance the promotion of both Greeley and Weld County.
The Bear Pride Collective came into existence in 2023, following the NCAA's decision to permit athletes to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). According to the university's announcement, the collective collaborates with an external entity to manage NIL deals and interactions between UNC student-athletes and supporters, benefactors, and companies.
In February 2025, University of Northern Colorado wrestler Andrew Alirez expresses his appreciation for the Bank of Colorado crowd during his final home competition in Greeley. (Photo by Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)
The group isn't formally connected to the University of North Carolina's sports program. While UNC suggests supporting its athletes through this group, it operates independently. When the Bear Pride Collective began, it was managed by Student Athlete NIL, a firm located in Atlanta.
Dunn stated that he doesn't anticipate any operational shifts for the Bear Pride Collective at this time. This collective provides an alternative avenue for donors to support UNC athletes. Attempts to contact a representative from the Bear Pride Collective regarding their position under the terms of the House settlement were unsuccessful.
Dunn stated that while choices may decrease in the future, he currently views the situation as advantageous.
According to Ropes & Gray, the House settlement permits booster groups to compensate student-athletes for NIL, provided the payments are for legitimate business reasons. Any NIL transaction valued at $600 or more must be disclosed to the College Sports Commission, which was established to supervise the settlement's new system.
The agreement also includes a provision that allows universities to distribute revenue to their athletes, up to a limit of $20.5 million per school annually for the current year. This cap is projected to rise by approximately $1 million annually after the 2025-26 academic year, reaching an estimated $32.9 million by the 2034-35 academic year.
UNC won't be providing athletes with $20 million, but according to Dunn, the university will "do the best we can with the resources we have."
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