Dawn Staley Implements NDAs for South Carolina Women’s Basketball Revenue Sharing
In a recent podcast with Michelle Obama, South Carolina’s head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley opened up about how revenue-sharing is changing college sports. Their chat covered the House v. NCAA Settlement, new financial opportunities for student-athletes, the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and a bunch of new challenges for schools and coaches.
This settlement marks a big break from the NCAA’s old “amateur” model. Athletes now have access to money in ways that just weren’t possible a few years ago, but it’s not all smooth sailing.
Understanding the House v. NCAA Settlement
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The House v. NCAA Settlement, approved on June 6 and kicking in July 1, lets colleges share up to $20.5 million with student-athletes. It’s all part of a $2.8 billion antitrust agreement that basically tore down the old amateur rules for college sports.
Schools can now decide how to hand out their revenue-sharing money. But most of it—about 90%—is expected to go to football and men’s basketball. That leaves just a sliver for women’s basketball and other sports, which feels pretty lopsided.
The Role of NDAs in Revenue Sharing
During her talk with Michelle Obama, Staley shared that her South Carolina players have to sign NDAs before they get any revenue-share money. The idea is to keep things private and avoid drama over who makes what.
*Now whether they can stick with that or not, some of them get disgruntled and maybe transfer and just say what ‘I was making (amount)’ and it can stir up the pot but I’m very honest,* Staley admitted. She tries to be upfront with her athletes about how and why they’re paid what they are.
The Impact of NIL on Collegiate Sports
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights have added another layer of complexity to college sports. Student-athletes can now cash in on their personal brands, but it’s brought new challenges to team chemistry, especially in women’s sports.
Michelle Obama wanted to know how all this money is affecting the locker room. Staley said she hasn’t seen any real problems yet, but she knows things could get tense as athletes juggle their own NIL deals and revenue-sharing money.
Challenges in Recruiting
Staley pointed out that revenue-sharing and NIL have made recruiting a lot trickier. *The market says that if you’re a non-contributor and you go into the portal, they can go ask a school like us for $100,000,* she said.
This has turned recruiting into a bit of a bidding war, driving up what student-athletes expect from schools. It’s a wild new world, and she’s still figuring out how to balance it all.
Equity Concerns and Title IX Lawsuits
The way revenue-sharing money gets split up has already led to several Title IX lawsuits. Football is set to get around 75% of the funds, men’s basketball another 15%, and just 10% is left for women’s basketball and everything else.
That gap is hard to ignore. Staley says she’s staying proactive, talking directly with her athletes and their agents to keep things as fair and open as possible.
Looking Ahead: Balancing Amateurism and Financial Benefits
The world of college sports keeps shifting. Striking a real balance between the spirit of amateur competition and letting athletes earn money is still a big challenge.
Staley points out just how complicated this all gets. There’s a real need for open conversation and steady changes so every athlete, no matter their sport or gender, can actually succeed—on the field and off.
For more details, check out the full article on On3.