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RK PLAYER POS HOMETOWN HT WT STARS GRADE SCHOOL

1 QB-PP Los Alamitos, CA
Los Alamitos High School 6’3” 185 93

2 QB-PP Detroit, MI
Martin Luther King High School 6’3” 210 93

3 QB-DT Denton, TX
John H. Guyer High School 6’1” 195 93

4 DT Alabaster, AL
Thompson High School 6’3” 275 93

5 QB-PP New Orleans, LA
Isidore Newman School 6’3” 204 93

6 OT Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’6” 325 92

7 WR Las Vegas, NV
Bishop Gorman High School 5’10” 172 92

8 DT Katy, TX
Patricia E. Paetow High School 6’4” 270 92

9 OLB Montgomery, AL
Carver High School 6’3” 230 91

10 OT Runnells, IA
Southeast Polk High School 6’6” 315 91

11 S Hoschton, GA
Mill Creek High School 6’0” 190 91

12 DE Tampa, FL
Berkeley Prep 6’5” 245 91

13 WR Los Alamitos, CA
Los Alamitos High School 5’11” 180 90

14 CB Lakeland, FL
Lakeland High School 6’2” 165 90

15 OLB Tallahassee, FL
Lincoln High School 6’2” 215 90

16 ILB Denton, TX
Billy Ryan High School 6’2” 230 90

17 S Denton, TX
John H. Guyer High School 6’0” 195 90

18 OLB Raleigh, MS
Raleigh High School 6’3” 200 90

19 CB Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’2” 185 90

20 DE North Kansas City, MO
North Kansas City High School 6’5” 230 90

21 OG Braintree, MA
Thayer Academy 6’5” 300 90

22 RB Lehigh Acres, FL
Lehigh Senior High School 5’11” 195 89

23 QB-PP Downey, CA
Warren High School 6’6” 195 89

24 RB Buford, GA
Buford High School 5’10” 185 89

25 DT Montgomery, AL
Carver High School 6’3” 300 88

26 WR DeSoto, TX
DeSoto High School 6’0” 175 88

27 S Lynn, MA
Saint John’s Prep 6’0” 200 87

28 WR Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stranahan High School 6’3” 200 87

29 QB-PP Zachary, LA
Zachary High School 6’4” 225 87

30 RB Orlando, FL
Edgewater High School 6’2” 220 87

31 QB-DT Pittsburg, CA
Pittsburg High School 6’4” 185 87

32 CB Arlington, TX
James Martin High School 6’1” 185 87

33 DE Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’4” 240 87

34 WR Plantation, FL
American Heritage High School 6’0” 190 87

35 DE Venice, FL
Venice High School 6’4” 235 87

36 QB-PP Snellville, GA
Brookwood High School 6’2” 210 87

37 CB Phenix City, AL
Central High School 6’2” 180 87

38 WR Atherton, CA
Menlo High School 6’3” 215 87

39 ATH Washington, DC
Archbishop Carroll High School 6’5” 225 87

40 TE-H Phoenix, AZ
Pinnacle High School 6’6” 235 86

41 OLB Tampa, FL
Jesuit High School 6’1” 210 86

42 QB-PP Birmingham, AL
Briarwood Christian School 6’3” 205 86

43 CB Cincinnati, OH
Winton Woods High School 6’0” 180 86

44 RB El Campo, TX
El Campo High School 5’11” 180 86

45 WR Houston, TX
Langham Creek High 5’11” 180 86

46 CB Florence, AL
Florence High School 6’2” 170 86

47 WR Longview, TX
Longview High School 6’2” 185 86

48 ATH Mustang, OK
Mustang High School 6’3” 185 86

49 DE Baltimore, MD
St. Frances Academy 6’4” 255 86

50 DT Tyler, TX
Tyler Legacy High School 6’4” 245 86

51 OT Monroe, LA
Neville High School 6’5” 300 86

52 CB Dallas, TX
South Oak Cliff High 5’11” 170 86

53 DT Gardendale, AL
Gardendale High School 6’5” 280 86

54 S Venice, FL
Venice High School 6’0” 190 86

55 OG Lee’s Summit, MO
Lee’s Summit North High School 6’5” 310 86

56 OT Mount Pleasant, SC
Oceanside Collegiate Academy 6’7” 285 86

57 S New Iberia, LA
Westgate High School 6’2” 185 86

58 OG Wyomissing, PA
Wyomissing High School 6’4” 285 86

59 OLB Baton Rouge, LA
University Laboratory School 6’1” 210 86

60 WR Round Rock, TX
Stony Point High School 6’2” 175 86

61 OT Ramsey, NJ
Don Bosco High School 6’5” 290 86

62 WR Miami, FL
Gulliver Prep High School 6’1” 170 86

63 ATH La Grange, TX
La Grange High School 5’11” 185 86

64 OT Findlay, OH
Findlay High School 6’5” 260 86

65 DE Bellflower, CA
St. John Bosco High School 6’5” 265 86

66 OT Rock Island, IL
Alleman High School 6’6” 305 86

67 WR Rolesville, NC
Rolesville High School 6’2” 185 86

68 DT Oradell, NJ
Bergen Catholic High 6’6” 325 86

69 DE Miami, FL
Miami Central High School 6’3” 255 86

70 CB Seminole, FL
Osceola High School 6’1” 180 86

71 DT Warner Robins, GA
Warner Robins High School 6’5” 270 86

72 DE Eufaula, AL
Eufaula High School 6’3” 220 86

73 WR Baton Rouge, LA
Catholic High School 6’4” 185 85

74 OLB Orlando, FL
Jones High School 6’2” 235 85

75 WR Bellflower, CA
St. John Bosco High School 5’11” 190 85

76 OG Ashburn, VA
Broad Run High School 6’5” 280 85

77 QB-DT Maize, KS
Maize High School 6’2” 175 85

78 OLB Merrillville, IN
Andrean High School 6’2” 215 85

79 S Shiner, TX
Shiner High School 6’1” 175 85

80 WR Phenix City, AL
Central High School 5’11” 180 85

81 OG Odessa, TX
Permian High School 6’4” 300 85

82 CB Quincy, FL
Robert F. Munroe High School 6’1” 190 85

83 TE-H Bixby, OK
Bixby High School 6’3” 215 85

84 DE Platte City, MO
Platte County R-III High School 6’5” 210 85

85 TE-H Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’5” 230 85

86 DE Phenix City, AL
Central High School 6’4” 255 85

87 DT Hyattsville, MD
DeMatha Catholic High School 6’6” 260 85

88 OT Alabaster, AL
Thompson High School 6’7” 310 85

89 DE Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’5” 240 85

90 DT Seminole, FL
Osceola High School 6’3” 300 84

91 CB Tampa, FL
Wharton High School 6’1” 187 84

92 WR Orlando, FL
Boone High School 6’2” 180 84

93 RB Saint Louis, MO
Christian Brothers College High School 6’1” 195 84

94 S Alabaster, AL
Thompson High School 6’2” 190 84

95 WR Flower Mound, TX
Marcus High School 6’3” 175 84

96 OG Orange Park, FL
Orange Park High School 6’4” 295 84

97 ILB Barnesville, GA
Lamar County High School 6’1” 220 84

98 ATH Houston, TX
Dwight D. Eisenhower High School 5’10” 170 84

99 TE-Y Fairburn, GA
Langston Hughes High School 6’5” 230 84

100 CB Gardena, CA
Junipero Serra High School 5’11” 175 84

101 DE Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’4” 250 84

102 OLB Murfreesboro, TN
Riverdale High School 6’5” 205 84

103 WR Ridgeland, MS
Ridgeland High School 6’3” 190 84

104 S Fort Lauderdale, FL
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School 5’11” 180 84

105 CB Melbourne, FL
Eau Gallie High School 5’11” 180 84

106 DE Norman, OK
Community Christian School 6’4” 215 84

107 S Fulton, MS
Itawamba Agri High School 6’0” 200 84

108 OT Fairburn, GA
Langston Hughes High School 6’7” 290 84

109 ATH Houston, TX
The Kinkaid School 5’11” 170 84

110 OT Tuscaloosa, AL
Northridge High School 6’7” 300 84

111 QB-PP Ankeny, IA
Ankeny High School 6’6” 230 84

112 CB Plantation, FL
American Heritage High School 6’2” 185 84

113 OLB Lehi, UT
Skyridge High School 6’4” 220 84

114 DE Springdale, MD
C. H. Flowers High School 6’6” 230 84

115 OLB Crandall, TX
Crandall High School 6’1” 210 84

116 RB Dexter, MI
Dexter High School 5’11” 180 84

117 TE-Y Folsom, CA
Folsom High School 6’5” 235 84

118 DE Colleyville, TX
Covenant Christian Academy 6’5” 260 84

119 WR Heathsville, VA
Northumberland High School 6’2” 225 84

120 OT Windsor, CT
Loomis Chaffee School 6’6” 310 84

121 DE New Hope, MN
Robbinsdale Cooper High School 6’4” 245 84

122 TE-H Austin, TX
Westlake High School 6’2” 220 84

123 OT East Saint Louis, IL
East St. Louis High School 6’7” 355 84

124 OLB Tampa, FL
Tampa Catholic High School 6’0” 200 84

125 DE Seminole, FL
Osceola High School 6’5” 270 84

126 OT Clearwater, FL
Clearwater Academy 6’7” 300 84

127 TE-Y Saint Louis, MO
De Smet Jesuit High School 6’4” 250 84

128 OLB Hoschton, GA
Mill Creek High School 6’3” 200 84

129 ATH Dallas, TX
South Oak Cliff High 5’11” 170 84

130 OLB Fairfax, VA
Fairfax High School 6’2” 205 84

131 OT Austin, TX
Westlake High School 6’4” 310 83

132 OLB Teague, TX
Teague High School 6’2” 225 83

133 DT Camden, SC
Camden High School 6’5” 325 83

134 OG Douglasville, GA
South Paulding High School 6’4” 300 83

135 OT Roebuck, SC
Dorman High School 6’4” 305 83

136 TE-Y Thompson’s Station, TN
Independence High School 6’5” 225 83

137 OT McDonough, GA
Eagles Landing Christian Academy 6’7” 335 83

138 CB Long Beach, CA
Long Beach Polytechnic High School 6’0” 175 83

139 S West Orange, FL
West Orange High School 6’2” 205 83

140 RB Derby, KS
Derby Senior High School 5’8” 155 83

141 S Denton, TX
John H. Guyer High School 6’0” 175 83

142 WR Miami, FL
Miami Edison Senior High School 5’9” 170 83

143 DE Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’3” 250 83

144 WR Thomasville, GA
Thomas County Central High School 5’11” 175 83

145 CB Saint Louis, MO
De Smet Jesuit High School 6’0” 175 83

146 ATH Tampa, FL
Gaither High School 5’11” 170 83

147 ILB Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’2” 225 83

148 RB Baton Rouge, LA
Liberty Magnet High School 5’11” 200 83

149 CB Waxahachie, TX
Waxahachie High School 5’11” 180 83

150 QB-PP Cornelius, NC
Hough High School 6’3” 225 83

151 ATH Idaho Falls, ID
Skyline High School 6’4” 225 83

152 DT Jacksonville, FL
Westside High School 6’4” 300 83

153 DE American Fork, UT
American Fork High School 6’4” 240 83

154 CB Miami, FL
Gulliver Prep High School 6’2” 175 83

155 ATH Lincoln, NE
Lincoln East High School 6’5” 200 83

156 DE Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Santa Margarita Catholic High School 6’7” 255 83

157 WR Lakeland, FL
Lakeland High School 6’4” 190 83

158 CB Kankakee, IL
Kankakee High School 6’2” 170 83

159 WR Raleigh, NC
Millbrook High School 6’3” 200 83

160 TE-H Santa Rosa Beach, FL
South Walton High School 6’6” 210 83

161 CB Bellflower, CA
St. John Bosco High School 6’2” 185 82

162 WR Milton, FL
Milton High School 6’3” 205 82

163 DE Hickory, NC
Hickory High School 6’4” 230 82

164 DT Saint James, MD
St. James School 6’4” 275 82

165 RB Picayune, MS
Picayune Memorial High School 6’1” 215 82

166 DE Concord, NC
J. M. Robinson High School 6’5” 260 82

167 ILB Many, LA
Many High School 6’2” 205 82

168 CB Roswell, GA
Roswell High School 5’11” 165 82

169 OG West Bloomfield, MI
West Bloomfield High School 6’3” 280 82

170 DE Detroit, MI
Cass Technical High School 6’3” 245 82

171 DT Chandler, AZ
Chandler High School 6’4” 295 82

172 RB Farmerville, LA
Union Parish High School 5’8” 180 82

173 CB Coppell, TX
Coppell High School 6’1” 190 82

174 OG Huber Heights, OH
Wayne High School 6’3” 280 82

175 QB-DT Nashville, TN
Montgomery Bell Academy 6’1” 170 82

176 WR Converse, TX
Judson High School 5’11” 170 82

177 OLB Jacksonville, FL
Andrew Jackson High School 6’3” 215 82

178 ATH Waco, TX
Connally High School 6’2” 190 82

179 DE Ellenwood, GA
Cedar Grove High School 6’6” 210 82

180 QB-DT Hendersonville, TN
Pope John Paul II High School 6’2” 205 82

181 CB Ellenwood, GA
Cedar Grove High School 5’11” 170 82

182 DE Austin, TX
Westlake High School 6’5” 230 82

183 OLB Durham, NC
Southern Durham High School 6’4” 215 82

184 ATH Temple, TX
Temple High School 6’0” 185 82

185 ILB Smyrna, TN
Smyrna High School 6’1” 215 82

186 CB Jacksonville, FL
Bartram Trail High School 6’0” 165 82

187 ATH Dublin, GA
Trinity Christian School 6’0” 180 82

188 CB Chandler, AZ
Basha High School 5’10” 175 82

189 ILB Fayetteville, GA
Whitewater High School 6’1” 220 82

190 OT Garland, TX
Naaman Forest High School 6’4” 285 82

191 DE Amarillo, TX
Tascosa High School 6’3” 255 82

192 QB-DT Brentwood, TN
Ravenwood High School 6’0” 210 82

193 OT McDonough, GA
Eagles Landing Christian Academy 6’5” 300 82

194 S Fort Lauderdale, FL
Dillard High School 6’1” 180 82

195 OLB Manteca, CA
Manteca High School 6’3” 215 82

196 ILB Altamonte Springs, FL
Lake Brantley High School 6’1” 200 82

197 DE Indianapolis, IN
Lawrence Central High School 6’4” 225 82

198 TE-H Ashdown, AR
Ashdown High School 6’5” 215 82

199 QB-PP Baton Rouge, LA
Woodlawn High School 6’3” 185 82

200 WR Chula Vista, CA
Mater Dei Catholic High School 6’1” 190 82

201 DT Richmond, VA
Benedictine College Prep 6’4” 310 82

202 CB Baton Rouge, LA
Woodlawn High School 6’0” 165 82

203 TE-H Milton, MA
Milton Academy 6’4” 215 82

204 RB Plantation, FL
American Heritage High School 6’1” 220 82

205 DE HIghland Home, AL
Highland Home High School 6’6” 245 82

206 ATH Miami, FL
Miami Palmetto High School 5’11” 170 82

207 DE Trussville, AL
Hewitt-Trussville High School 6’4” 255 82

208 CB Charlotte, NC
Providence Day School 6’0” 175 82

209 OC Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’3” 325 82

210 ATH Carrollton, GA
Central High School 6’0” 175 82

211 DE Olney, MD
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School 6’5” 235 82

212 S San Jacinto, CA
San Jacinto High School 6’1” 180 82

213 TE-Y Saint Charles, MO
Francis Howell Central High School 6’6” 225 82

214 CB Frisco, TX
Lone Star High School 6’0” 170 82

215 DE Pleasant Valley, IA
Pleasant Valley High School 6’5” 240 82

216 S Munford, AL
Munford High School 5’11” 195 82

217 DE Columbia, MD
Wilde Lake High School 6’5” 205 82

218 CB Las Vegas, NV
Bishop Gorman High School 6’1” 190 82

219 DT New Bern, NC
New Bern High School 6’3” 285 82

220 CB Seattle, WA
Rainier High School 6’0” 180 82

221 ATH Pittsburg, CA
Pittsburg High School 6’1” 175 82

222 DE West Roxbury, MA
Catholic Memorial High School 6’4” 255 82

223 S Mansfield, TX
Mansfield High School 6’0” 185 82

224 DT Camden, NJ
Eastside High School 6’4” 300 82

225 DE Thomaston, GA
Upson-Lee High School 6’5” 245 82

226 DT Rome, GA
Rome High School 6’4” 270 82

227 ATH Folsom, CA
Folsom High School 6’1” 190 82

228 CB Arlington, TX
Timberview High School 5’11” 185 82

229 ATH Fort Lauderdale, FL
Dillard High School 5’11” 190 82

230 RB Charlotte, NC
West Charlotte High School 6’0” 185 82

231 DE Houston, TX
C. E. King High School 6’4” 245 82

232 WR Tallahassee, FL
James S. Rickards High School 6’3” 190 82

233 RB Scranton, PA
Scranton Preparatory School 5’11” 190 82

234 CB Montgomery, AL
Alabama Christian Academy 6’2” 180 82

235 QB-PP Colorado Springs, CO
Vista Ridge High School 6’5” 195 82

236 OT Provo, UT
Timpview High School 6’4” 260 82

237 WR Hollywood, FL
Avant Garde Academy 6’2” 195 81

238 OLB Watkinsville, GA
Oconee County High School 6’2” 195 81

239 OG Gilbert, AZ
Highland High School 6’5” 265 81

240 S Irvington, NJ
Irvington High School 6’0” 190 81

241 WR Bradenton, FL
IMG Academy 6’2” 185 81

242 ILB Altamonte Springs, FL
Lake Brantley High School 6’1” 190 81

243 DE Mentor, OH
Mentor High School 6’5” 240 81

244 WR Chipley, FL
Chipley High School 6’2” 185 81

245 CB Spanaway, WA
Spanaway Lake High School 5’11” 170 81

246 RB Naples, FL
Naples High School 6’1” 195 81

247 DE Saint Petersburg, FL
Lakewood Senior High School 6’4” 225 81

248 ATH Ocean Springs, MS
Ocean Springs High School 6’2” 190 81

249 RB Sandersville, GA
Washington County High School 5’11” 190 81

250 DE Washington, DC
St. John’s College High School 6’3” 235 81

251 ILB Philadelphia, PA
Imhotep Institute Charter High School 6’1” 220 81

252 TE-H Norcross, GA
Norcross High School 6’3” 220 81

253 S Zachary, LA
Zachary High School 6’2” 200 81

254 WR Lansdale, PA
North Penn High School 6’2” 175 81

255 S West Chester, OH
Lakota West High School 6’3” 175 81

256 OT Columbus, GA
Carver High School 6’5” 300 81

257 WR Tulsa, OK
Booker T. Washington High School 5’11” 170 81

258 TE-Y Tucson, AZ
Mountain View High School 6’4” 245 81

259 DE Gainesville, FL
Buchholz High School 6’3” 245 81

260 RB Middleburg, FL
Middleburg High School 5’11” 195 81

261 DE Manor, TX
Manor High School 6’4” 225 81

262 QB-DT Tacoma, WA
Lincoln High School 6’0” 205 81

263 ILB Fort Worth, TX
North Crowley High School 6’1” 215 81

264 OG Hyattsville, MD
DeMatha Catholic High School 6’5” 305 81

265 OLB Cleveland, OH
Glenville High School 6’3” 215 81

266 RB Canutillo, TX
Canutillo High School 6’1” 205 81

267 DE Cypress, TX
Cypress Ranch High School 6’3” 260 81

268 OT Arlington, TX
Lamar High School 6’7” 285 81

269 WR Owasso, OK
Owasso High School 5’10” 180 81

270 ATH Clearwater, FL
Clearwater Central Catholic H. S. 5’10” 170 81

271 QB-PP Dripping Springs, TX
Dripping Springs High School 6’2” 180 81

272 S Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles College Prep 6’1” 180 81

273 DE Miami, FL
Gulliver Prep High School 6’4” 220 81

274 CB Rome, GA
Rome High School 6’0” 170 81

275 OG Elk Grove, CA
Elk Grove High School 6’3” 310 81

276 ATH Granada Hills, CA
Granada Hills High School 6’0” 175 81

277 WR Mesquite, TX
North Mesquite High School 6’2” 190 81

278 RB Montgomery, AL
Montgomery Catholic High School 5’11” 185 81

279 TE-H Havelock, NC
Havelock High School 6’4” 210 81

280 RB New Caney, TX
New Caney High 5’11” 190 81

281 DT North Kansas City, MO
North Kansas City High School 6’3” 285 81

282 ATH Los Alamitos, CA
Los Alamitos High School 6’3” 185 81

283 S Fairburn, GA
Langston Hughes High School 6’2” 195 81

284 RB San Diego, CA
Abraham Lincoln High School 6’1” 240 81

285 WR Roanoke, VA
Patrick Henry High School 6’0” 170 81

286 OLB Friendswood, TX
Friendswood High School 6’5” 230 81

287 OC Ferndale, WA
Ferndale High School 6’3” 280 81

288 DE Orlando, FL
Olympia High School 6’7” 265 81

289 OLB Hampton, VA
Phoebus High School 6’4” 215 81

290 ATH Arthur, IL
Arthur High School 6’2” 220 81

291 WR Mission Viejo, CA
Mission Viejo High School 5’9” 170 81

292 TE-Y Concord, CA
De La Salle High School 6’6” 255 81

293 QB-DT Florence, SC
South Florence High School 6’2” 225 81

294 OLB Post, TX
Post High School 6’4” 210 81

295 CB West Orange, NJ
West Orange High School 6’4” 180 81

296 OT Chattanooga, TN
Baylor School 6’6” 280 81

297 TE-H Fort Worth, TX
North Crowley High School 6’5” 215 81

298 ILB Gainesville, GA
Gainesville High School 6’2” 220 81

299 ATH Maiden, NC
Maiden High School 6’3” 190 81

300 CB Fort Mitchell, KY
Beechwood High School 5’10” 175 81

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Sources: NCAA could pay $2.7B in antitrust suits

Published

2 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

By

Sources: NCAA could pay .7B in antitrust suits

  • Pete Thamel

  • Dan Murphy

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    Dan Murphy

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • Covers the Big Ten
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2014
    • Graduate of the University of Notre Dame

May 2, 2024, 06:48 PM ET

The NCAA’s national office might be footing the bill for a settlement expected to be more than $2.7 billion in the landmark House v. NCAA lawsuit and other related antitrust cases, in hopes of reshaping and stabilizing the college sports industry, according to multiple sources on Thursday.

Sources told ESPN this week that parties have proposed the NCAA’s national office — rather than its individual member schools or conferences — would pay for the settlement of past damages over a period of 10 years. The NCAA payments would be paid to former college athletes who say they were illegally prevented from making money by selling the rights to their name, image and likeness.

The settlement would come with a corresponding commitment from conferences and schools to share revenue with athletes moving forward, per sources. The settlement would establish a framework for power conferences to share revenue with their athletes in the future. Sources have told ESPN that schools are anticipating a ceiling of nearly $20 million per year for athlete revenue share moving forward. (That figure for a revenue share is derived from a formula that’s expected to be, per sources, 22% of a revenue metric that’s still being discussed, which is set to be based on various revenue buckets. It would be up to the schools to share that much.)

The dollar value and timing, sources cautioned, is not yet set and could change due to the myriad variables involved in the case.

Steve Berman, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs, told ESPN he believes the House case is “the difference-maker” after more than a decade of legal battles chipping away at the NCAA’s rules. Berman declined to comment on the specifics of the ongoing settlement talks, but said the plaintiffs’ leverage is growing as the case moves closer to trial.

“Our leverage is a big cannonball rolling down a hill and picking up speed,” Berman said. “The longer they wait, the more they’re going to have to pay. It’s that simple.”

The NCAA declined to comment.

Since a cadre of collegiate sports and NCAA officials met plaintiffs’ attorneys at the Hyatt Regency at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on April 25, the details for potentially settling the House case have begun to be distributed to campuses. After interviews with more than a dozen college officials, industry sources and lawyers this week, ESPN has learned that many crucial details for a settlement remain unsolved, but both sides are making progress toward a deal that could serve as a catalyst for the new business model of college sports.

“They’ve got stuff on paper,” said an industry source. “This is not just lawyers and commissioners meeting and having a cocktail. This snowball is moving downhill. The horizon on this is about a month.”

Plaintiffs in the House case argue that the NCAA is breaking the law by placing any restrictions on how athletes monetize their name, image and likeness. The case is scheduled to go to trial in January 2025. If the NCAA loses the case at trial, it could owe athletes more than $4 billion in damages.

Along with saving money, the NCAA is also motivated to settle in hopes of laying the groundwork for a system that could help them avoid future litigation. A settlement alone might not provide that protection without additional help from Congress or a collective bargaining agreement with athletes.

The NCAA and its conferences are defendants in at least two other federal antitrust cases that are challenging what remains of the association’s amateurism rules. Those outstanding cases would also likely be resolved as part of the House settlement.

Earlier this month, the plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment, which asks the judge in the case to rule on several key arguments prior to trial. The hearing for summary judgment is scheduled for September, and a ruling in the plaintiffs’ favor could continue to increase their leverage in a negotiation.

One of the outstanding issues in the potential settlement of the House case is whether or not a settlement would eliminate future antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and its schools.

“I’m very concerned about the fact that a settlement is really not a settlement,” an industry source told ESPN concerning looming issues that need to be resolved before settling. “It doesn’t have enough protections. If it were an all-encompassing settlement with congressional approval, I’d feel a lot better.”

College sports leaders have been asking Congress to write a new federal law for several years that would, among other things, protect them from future litigation.

Sources told ESPN that some school officials are hoping that a House settlement could spur action on Capitol Hill. Several members of Congress who have worked on college sports-related legislation in recent years declined to comment on what impact a settlement might have on the creation of a new federal law.

As information has been brought back to campuses, the biggest concern is how protective the settlement would be from future antitrust lawsuits.

“You can’t just settle the lawsuits,” said another industry source. “You’ve got to be able to emerge with something in return, other than the settlement. If you don’t have the requisite ability to structure the future. All we’re going to do is shake hands and wait five minutes for the next filing. You don’t want to be waiting for the next lawsuit here.”

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Smart money: UGA makes Kirby first $13M coach

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2 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Smart money: UGA makes Kirby first M coach

  • Chris Low, ESPN Senior WriterMay 2, 2024, 05:12 PM ET

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    • College football reporter
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
    • Graduate of the University of Tennessee

Georgia‘s Kirby Smart has received a new 10-year, $130 million deal that was approved by university officials Thursday in its annual athletics board of directors meeting. The deal makes Smart the highest-paid college football coach in the country and its first $13 million coach.

Smart, who was scheduled to earn $10.75 million this year under his old contract, will see his salary increase to $13 million annually, and that money is guaranteed for at least the first half of his contract. His new deal runs through the 2033 season. Smart could also earn up to $1.55 million in bonuses. He is entering his ninth season as Georgia’s coach. His Bulldogs captured back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 and won an SEC-record 29 straight games before losing to Alabama last season in the SEC championship game.

“I continue to be grateful and humbled by our administration’s commitment to our football program,” Smart said in a statement. “The current culture in collegiate athletics is everchanging and as challenging as it has ever been, so I truly appreciate the leadership that our team is continually provided. I have an immense pride for representing my alma mater and look forward to that relationship continuing for many years to come.”

Alabama’s Nick Saban had previously been the country’s highest-paid college football coach until retiring in January. Smart passes Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who makes an average annual salary of $11.5 million. USC’s Lincoln Riley is also in the $11 million range in average salary, according to industry sources. Others making more than $10 million in average annual salary include Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer ($10.875 million), Texas’ Steve Sarkisian ($10.64 million) and Florida State’s Mike Norvell ($10.52 million). Sarkisian and Norvell both agreed to new deals taking them over the $10 million mark in January about the time of DeBoer’s hiring.

Since returning to his alma mater in 2016, Smart has guided the Bulldogs to two national championships, played for a third and won 13 or more games in each of the past three seasons. Georgia is the only team to have finished in the top seven of the final AP poll in each of the past seven seasons. With Saban retired, Smart is unbeaten against all active head coaches over the past five years.

Smart told ESPN last month: “I was brought here to win championships, but the thing I’m proudest of has been the consistency. I look back on Year 1 [when Georgia went 8-5] as a failure and not the standard, but every year after that we’ve been right there. Nobody else over that span can say they’ve finished in the top seven at the very end for seven straight years.”

Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks also received a raise and extension Thursday, taking his contract through 2030. He will make $1.275 million annually with $100,000 increases each year of the agreement.

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‘Bryce is Philadelphia now’: How a Vegas kid became the face of Philly sports

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May 3, 2024

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'Bryce is Philadelphia now': How a Vegas kid became the face of Philly sports

  • Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff WriterMay 3, 2024, 07:00 AM ET

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      Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.

BRYCE HARPER’S DAILY routine is no different than many Philadelphia sports fans. On his drive into the city from his home in the suburb of Haddonfield, New Jersey, he listens to local sports talk radio. Often, he walks into Citizens Bank Park wearing gear of a Philadelphia sports team. Then Harper changes into his uniform, rolls up his sleeves and gets to work.

Harper gets a thrill from hearing the passion that fans in his sports-crazed city have for their teams — especially because it’s a passion he shares with them.

“People that call into the radio, they love it. They love us. I love listening to it. I think it’s hilarious. I enjoy listening about all the other sports in town. I love cheering on the Eagles. I love cheering on the Sixers and Flyers,” Harper said. “

“We all know what it’s like to play here and so we all cheer for each other and understand each other. When the city rallies around a team and all the players, it’s just so much fun to see.”

Harper began endearing himself to a fan base known for its rough edges from the moment he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract before the 2019 season. He famously overruled agent Scott Boras’ insistence to include an opt-out, wanting to show loyalty to the place he planned to spend the rest of his career. He also turned down an opportunity to don No. 34 — his number with the Washington Nationals — declaring that Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay “should be the last to wear it.” When he bemoaned the price of beer at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia knew it had found one of its own.

“Bryce is really good at saying the right thing and I don’t think it’s B.S.,” longtime Phillies first baseman and current team broadcaster John Kruk told ESPN recently. “He means it. From Day 1, when he signed that contract and he didn’t ask for that opt-out, that meant a lot to the fans.”

Fast forward five years and Harper is even more beloved in Philly. Sure, winning an MVP award in 2021 helped that cause. So did leading the Phillies to the World Series the following year and returning to the National League Championship series in October. But it’s not just the awards and playoff victories that have strengthened his bond with the city.

“I came from Southern California, having no idea what the East Coast was like, let alone Philadelphia,” Chase Utley, another Philly great, said in a phone conversation. “It takes a certain type of personality to succeed and thrive in the Philadelphia sports world. Bryce had it right away.

“He brings you into his game with his talent and grit. That resonates with the fan base.”

The adoration of an East Coast city that prides itself on blue-collar toughness might not be what you’d expect for a superstar who grew up 2,500 miles away, among the glittering lights of Las Vegas. But Harper has always been as much South Philly as Vegas Strip.

“I kind of always thought the city suited him and it was only a matter of time before he got here,” said Trea Turner, who was also Harper’s teammate in D.C. “Bryce is Philadelphia now.”

HARPER WANTS YOU to know at least one thing about Las Vegas: It’s not all about the Strip. There are neighborhoods and locals and working class people all over — just not necessarily where tourists go. It’s more blue-collar than many think.

“You have to be a hard-working town when you’re building all those casinos,” he said.

Harper’s father, Ron, is an iron worker who did local construction for 30 years; his extended family all worked “blue-collar jobs” as well. Harper’s work ethic was honed early in life, in part by laying rebar with his dad.

He took that mindset onto the field with him, quickly outpacing ballplayers his age and playing against players four or five years older on Las Vegas’ best travel teams. At 16, he decided to leave high school, earn his GED and enroll at the College of Southern Nevada. He continued to dominate there, winning college baseball’s Golden Spikes Award, an honor that’s been given to a junior college player just twice in nearly a half-century, in 2010.

All the early morning runs, the workouts in the gym and his dominance on the field paid off that same year when Harper was selected first overall by Washington.

“Bryce was the guy. Everybody had their eyes on Bryce,” said Mike Bryant, who coached Harper, Joey Gallo and his own future major league MVP son Kris, in Las Vegas youth leagues. “Just having Bryce around brought eyes on everyone else. He was the guy. No question about it.”

That sort of attitude and expectations also helped prepare him for the kind of scrutiny a superstar faces in Philadelphia.

“He’s been in the spotlight since he was 14,” former Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. “That has a lot to do with it. He’s had pressure on him his whole life. When you come here, you better be able to deal with it. That doesn’t bother him.”

NEVER WAS HARPER’S work ethic more apparent than his months of rehab after his November 2022 Tommy John surgery. The initial timetable had him rejoining the team around the 2023 All-Star break, but he had a different plan. On May 2 — more than two months ahead of schedule — Harper was back, moving to a new position and eventually helping the Phillies to another playoff berth.

“I was calling him a superhero,” fellow Las Vegas product and Phillies infielder Bryson Stott said. “His body heals faster than anyone I think I’ve ever seen.”

Though Harper’s move to first base was initially to protect his still-tender arm, the initial success led the Phillies to make the move permanent this offseason. Harper had enough clout that he could have vetoed the plan and stayed at designated hitter or lobbied for a move back to the outfield.

“That’s the first thing our infield coach, Bobby Dickerson, said to me: ‘If you’re all-in, we’re going to do this. If you’re not, we’re not going to,'” Harper recalled. “From that point on, I told him, ‘Whatever you want to do.’

“I love being coached.”

The undertaking meant Harper would need to spend hours this spring learning the nuances of a new position, often putting in extra time before batting practice taking ground balls. His teammates and coaches saw the former MVP attack his new challenge like a rookie trying to make the roster.

“We spent at least 20 minutes a day on our half field. We did all the skill parts of playing the position,” Dickerson said. “Then I did a little verbal test with him every few days, like, ‘Runner on first, double down the right-field line. Where do you go?’ I would hit him with that a good bit.”

“It’s been an amazing transformation to watch, actually. You spend your whole career doing different things in the outfield, then in the major leagues [you] learn to play first base.”

The results so far tell the story. According to ESPN Stats & Information, his range moving to his right has improved since last year and he ranks near the top of the league in outs above average (second) and defensive runs saved (second). Through Wednesday, Harper’s had 251 chances at first base without committing an error.

“It’s still a transition,” Harper said. “I’m still learning where I need to be on the field. When a guy hits a ball down the line or in the gap, you can’t get caught watching paint dry. I sit there sometimes and watch Bryson make a great play and I’m like, ‘Holy crap, I have to cover first base.'”

Stott sees the connection between that work Harper puts in behind the scenes and his Las Vegas roots. Yes, there are bright lights and big paydays but nothing gets done without effort.

“You see the casino executives,” Stott said. “They’re working, but they’re not in the streets building the casinos. You don’t see those people. You don’t see the work [Bryce] put in either.”

NO MATTER HOW hard you work — or how well you perform — there is a reality for all professional athletes in Philadelphia: You will be booed.

Harper was already hearing it from the fans on his first Opening Day as a Phillie, in 2019 — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“On my first day I punched out against Julio Teheran, and I’m walking back to the dugout and they booed me on my first at-bat,” Harper said. “I totally understand and get it.

“When you do stuff wrong they’re going to let you know. As players in this clubhouse, we love that and from an individual standpoint, I love it.”

Harper made it clear that a few boos weren’t going to keep him down — he homered in each of the next three games. Just as important, he answered the tough postgame questions from reporters, starting with that initial 0-for-3 debut.

That culture of accountability has spread through a clubhouse filled with players who have come to join Harper in Philadelphia, a city that is now a destination for big-name free agents. First it was Zack Wheeler signing a $118 million deal before the 2020 season, then sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos signed on the next season. Finally, Turner reunited with Harper by signing a $300 million contract an offseason ago.

Together, they have formed a core beloved in the city as few Philadelphia teams — in any sport — have been before.

“When they have a s— game, [the fans] want to hear it,” Bowa said. “‘Hey, I stunk tonight.’ Schwarber does it. Turner, too. Bryce has had that kind of impact.”

Some around the Phillies credit the bond Harper created for bringing out a softer side of the fan base. Instead of booing Alec Bohm out of town when he was caught mouthing “I f—ing hate this place” after making an error, the fans rallied around their young third baseman. Turner received a similar reaction when he was greeted with a standing ovation — not a round of boos — when he came to the plate in August, in the midst of a prolonged slump in his first season with the Phillies.

“He’s done a good job of showing the other side of Philly,” Turner said. “The coolest part, over the last five years, is to see where it started and where it is now. The whole organization and the fans and all that stuff is in a lot better position.”

Schwarber agreed. “He embraces the way that they think,” he said. “And he’s really public with it. He wants to win it and win it for the city. That’s what you want out of a leader. That’s what makes it exciting to come and play every day.”

Of course, Harper knows Philadelphia is still Philadelphia, and the boos could always come unless one of these seasons ends with him holding up the World Series trophy. Though they’ve come close, a championship has evaded them, and the euphoria of the team’s unexpected 2022 postseason run was replaced by frustration when the team lost Game 7 of the National League Championship Series at home in October. Signed through 2031, Harper still has nearly a decade to deliver that ultimate prize to his city.

“You do it for so long that it becomes the goal even more, right?” Harper said. “We have such a great group of guys. All we want to do is win. We don’t care about anything else.

“Philly is a very results-oriented town.”

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