EMMETT, Idaho — A recent lawsuit is pursuing compensation for current and ex-college athletes for lost NIL earnings during their playing careers.
- The $2.8 billion settlement will compensate any lost NIL earnings for current and former athletes who played from 2016-2021.
- Ryan Beard was a pitcher at Purdue from 2018-2019.
- Beard says the University reached out to him to see if he was interested in the settlement.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Thursday evening, Boise State Athletics released a statement saying they intend to opt into the House vs NCAA settlement. I'm your Emmett neighborhood reporter, Alexander Huddleston speaking with one local former college athlete who will benefit from this settlement.
"You only get one time to run through college athletics," said former Purdue Baseball player Ryan Beard.
NCAA student-athletes have been able to make money off their name image and likeness since 2021. However, a recent lawsuit between former college athletes and the NCAA has been ongoing in the fight for compensation for any lost NIL earnings. The $2.8 billion settlement will compensate many lost NIL earnings including athletes who participated from 2016 to 2021 over the next 10 years.
Beard continued, "No matter what the amount is, I think it's just an effort by the people who fought on our behalf, the ex-athletes to get us the money I thought at the time going into school we deserved."
Beard pitched for two years at Purdue University after transferring from the College of Southern Idaho.
"I was really fond of my time at Purdue," smiled Beard.
Beard explained the university reached out to him saying that a plan for compensation was in the works.
Beard explained, "They just wanted a list of the athletes that are interested in a portion of the settlement that the school will be receiving."
The settlement allows power conference schools to share up to 22% of average revenue to its student-athletes. There will also be roster caps for all sports in an attempt for all schools to have an equal number of athletes on a given team. These roster caps replace the current scholarship cap allowing schools to provide as many scholarships as they wish.
"They will have to be advocates for the players. There will have to be some sort of structure to it, where it's not like the wild west in some of these towns where the boosters do whatever they want," finished Beard.
The settlement will go into effect starting in July of 2025, with many former athletes patiently awaiting their share.
