Warde Manuel Shares ‘Maximum’ Commitment to Revenue Sharing for Michigan Student-Athletes

Earlier this week, the U.S. District Court preliminarily approved a settlement agreement in the House v NCAA class action lawsuits. What does that mean for University of Michigan athletics?

Final approval is scheduled for April 7, 2025. A press release from U-M outlined how the school is approaching the new landscape of college athletics. 

If the approval is finalized, student-athletes will receive a significant revenue share starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Additionally, Division I student-athletes that competed from 2016-2021 will receive back pay, estimated to be worth $3 billion.

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How Does This Impact Michigan Football, Basketball and Other Sports?

The pending decision would impact more than just bank accounts. All NCAA sports would have roster limits, and schools would be able to give out as many scholarships as they have roster spots for each sport.

It is estimated that $22 million will go directly to athletes in the first academic year, and the amount is expected to increase annually.

Warde Manuel Plans to ‘Maximize’ New Revenue Sharing Rules

Michigan Director of Athletics Warde Manuel wrote a letter in the press release to break everything down from a Wolverine perspective. 

“We intend to maximize the revenue-sharing opportunities presented by these new policies to support and recognize the NIL contributions of our student-athletes to the full extent allowed by the NCAA and the agreed upon settlement,” Manuel said. “Their hard work in athletics and commitment to the community and classroom help drive our collective passion for Michigan Athletics. We are continuing to assess the number of additional scholarships that our department will be able to fund, but we are firm in our commitment not to eliminate any sports or reduce the number of scholarships we currently offer.”

Manuel said there still needs to be support for student-athlete NIL opportunities.

“There is still a significant need to support the NIL initiatives of our student-athletes,” Manuel said. “For the foreseeable future, collectives such as Champions Circle will continue to be an important source for our student-athletes’ NIL opportunities. NIL support will continue to play a role in our success, especially through recruitment and retention of student-athletes.”

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