NIL 101: The House Settlement

The most visual, easy-to-understand guide to the $2.8 billion settlement that’s reshaping college sports.

This is the first and only field guide to the House v. NCAA Settlement — designed for athletes, administrators, coaches, agents, parents, and anyone trying to understand revenue sharing in college sports.

Created by Blake Lawrence, co-founder and President of Opendorse, the $100M+ company leading the NIL industry, this book answers 100+ of the most common questions about how the new era of athlete compensation, school spending caps, NIL deals, and compliance will actually work.

What You’ll Get

• 16 chapters covering every key topic: Revenue Sharing, NIL Agents, Roster Caps, Transfer Rules, International Athletes, and more.
• Visual explainer comics on every page to make complex concepts simple.
• Clear answers, memorable visuals, and direct commentary — no legalese, no fluff.
• Bonus insights on what’s final, what’s pending, and what schools, boosters, and athletes can and can’t do.

Who This is For

• Athletic Directors & Administrators
• Coaches & General Managers
• Agents & Marketing Reps
• Athletes & Parents
• Attorneys & Financial Advisors
• Collective Directors & Boosters
• Sports Marketers & Brand Leaders
• Media Members & Fans
• Policymakers shaping the future of college sports

Why You Need This

This is the playbook college sports insiders are already using. Whether you’re building a roster, managing a collective, guiding an athlete, or just trying to stay ahead of the headlines — NIL 101: The House Settlement is your roadmap.

If you’ve ever asked:

• “What’s actually allowed now?”
• “What counts against a school’s $20.5M spending cap?”
• “How do NIL agents get paid?”
• “What’s coming next?”

This book was built for you.

Full list of questions answered in NIL 101: The House Settlement by Blake Lawrence:

Chapter 1: House Settlement Basics

• What is the House v. NCAA Settlement and what does it aim to resolve?
• Who is Grant House and why is the settlement named after him?
• Which organizations were sued in the House v. NCAA lawsuit?
• How long will the House Settlement stay in effect, and is it final?
• What are the two big parts of the House Settlement?
• How is backpay being calculated and distributed to athletes under the House Settlement?
• Which conferences are hit hardest by the back pay requirement?
• How will March Madness distributions be affected by the back pay component?

Chapter 2: Opt-in Options

• What are schools now allowed to do that they couldn’t before the settlement?
• What types of payments are newly permitted under the House Settlement?
• What does it mean for a school to opt in to the House Settlement — and why might they opt out?
• When do schools have to decide whether to opt in, and can they change their mind later?
• Can a school opt in to the House Settlement for some sports but not others?
• Can schools that don’t opt in still provide new benefits to athletes?

Chapter 3: New Roster Rules

• How are the new roster limits different from past NCAA rules?
• Can schools still carry walk-ons under the new rules?
• Does the House Settlement eliminate scholarship limits across sports?
• When do schools have to finalize their rosters to meet these limits?
• What is a Designated Student-Athlete (DSA), and why does it matter under the House Settlement?
• How do roster limits affect Olympic sports or non-revenue programs?

Chapter 4: Alston & Additional Scholarships

• What are Alston benefits and how do they factor into athlete pay?
• How do additional scholarships count toward athlete compensation?
• Could scholarships be removed from the cap calculation in the future?

Chapter 5: Schools Paying Athletes

• What does “rev-share” really mean in the House Settlement?
• Do athletes have to be paid from athletics revenue?
• Can schools now do NIL deals directly with their own athletes?
• What is an NIL deal between a school and an athlete?
• What services or deliverables might be included in an institutional NIL deal?
• Is it fair to call these payments “NIL deals”? Or are schools just paying athletes to play?
• Can student-athletes include school logos, uniforms, or facilities in NIL content?
• How much does it cost to license school marks for NIL content?
• When can schools make NIL or benefits-related offers to high school athletes?
• Can a school sign an NIL deal with a former student-athlete?

Chapter 6: Annual Spending Cap

• What is the benefits cap under the House Settlement?
• How is each school’s benefits cap calculated?
• Will the benefits cap change over time?
• Is each school’s spending cap based on its own athletic department revenue?
• Can schools calculate their benefits cap based on the revenue of individual sports?
• What counts against a school’s benefits cap under the House Settlement?
• Can a Participating Institution provide direct payments to athletes outside of NIL?
• Can a school route benefits through a third party and avoid the cap?
• Do third-party payments facilitated by the school count against the cap?
• How are multiyear NIL agreements treated under the cap?

Chapter 7: Team & Athlete Cap Strategy

• How does Title IX affect how schools allocate compensation under the House Settlement?
• Can schools spend more on football and men’s basketball without violating Title IX?
• What strategies are schools using to allocate cap space across different sports?
• How do schools determine how much to offer each individual athlete?
• What benchmarks or market data can schools use to evaluate athlete value?
• Are schools hiring general managers or analysts to manage NIL budgets?
• How are pro sports salary cap strategies influencing college programs?

Chapter 8: College Athlete Contracts

• What types of NIL contract terms are being used by institutions?
• Can schools revise NIL contracts midseason based on athlete performance?
• What does “contingent shared revenue” mean in a student-athlete agreement?
• Can institutional NIL contracts include win-based or stat-based bonuses?
• How long can an NIL agreement between a school and athlete last?
• Can a school and athlete decide what goes in their NIL licensing agreements?
• Do all benefits to prospective or current athletes have to be in a written agreement?

Chapter 9: College NIL Agents

• Can student-athletes have agents represent them when negotiating NIL contracts with their school?
• Do NIL agents need to be certified like pro sports agents?
• What’s the difference between pro sports agents and college NIL agents?
• How do NIL agents know how much their athletes are worth?
• How much do NIL agents charge and what’s considered a fair commission?

Chapter 10: Transfer Portal Management

• What happens to an athlete’s NIL agreement if they transfer mid-contract?
• What NIL rights do schools retain after an athlete transfers?
• What steps must a new school take to avoid violating a prior NIL contract?
• Can a school make NIL offers to athletes at other schools before they enter the portal?
• How does in-season transfer activity impact how schools manage their NIL cap?

Chapter 11: International Athletes

• Are international student-athletes allowed to enter into NIL contracts with their school?
• How does an international athlete’s visa status affect their eligibility for NIL compensation?
• What is the difference between employment and licensing for international athletes?
• How can schools structure deals to stay compliant with immigration law?
• What role can third-party licensing solutions or collectives play for international athletes?

Chapter 12: CAPS & School Compliance

• What is CAPS, what does it track, and what must schools submit to it?
• What are schools required to do to stay compliant with revenue-sharing and reconciliation rules?
• What’s included in an athlete’s CAPS profile, and who can see the data?
• What are the annual reporting and approval requirements for Participating Institutions?

Chapter 13: NIL Go & Booster Compliance

• What is NIL Go, and why does every Division I athlete have to use it?
• Does NIL Go monitor circumvention? and how do pro sports leagues handle things like this?
• What counts as a “third party” for NIL Go reporting, and can schools help facilitate deals?
• What documents and attestations must be submitted in NIL Go?
• What is a valid business purpose in an NIL deal, and what kinds of deals don’t qualify?
• What is the range of compensation (RoC), and how does it affect NIL deals?
• What does it mean to be an associated payor, associated entity or associated individual?
• What types of NIL deals are reviewed more closely under NIL Go?
• What options does an athlete have if a deal gets flagged or rejected by NIL Go?
• Can a student-athlete request a pre-clearance review from NIL Go?
• Can booster-funded collectives still pay athletes under the House Settlement?

Chapter 14: CSC & House Enforcement

• What is the College Sports Commission, who leads it, and how does it enforce the House Settlement?
• What happens if a school exceeds the cap or violates the House Settlement rules?
• What happens if a student-athlete doesn’t report their NIL deal in NIL Go or breaks other rules?
• How is compliance enforced across all Division I schools?
• How does reconciliation data impact future cap planning and enforcement?

Chapter 15: NIL Market Trends

• Where is the money coming from in Year 1 of the House Settlement?
• How will Power Conference school spending compare to Group of Six or other D1?
• Will the $20.5M cap widen the competitive gap between Power Conferences and others?
• Can smaller schools remain competitive if they can’t afford to pay the full revenue-sharing cap?
• How do NIL dynamics of the revenue-share era compare to the collective-driven model?
• How does college athlete compensation compare to professional athletes?
• How does the 22% cap compare to revenue sharing in pro sports leagues?
• Will the professionalization of college sports erode the tradition and fan appeal of amateurism?

Chapter 16: Forecasting The Future

• What happens when the House Settlement expires after 10 years?
• Could the House Settlement face new lawsuits or antitrust challenges in the future?
• Will federal legislation reshape how the House Settlement is enforced?
• How do state NIL laws affect the House Settlement, and are there already conflicts?
• Could the House Settlement accelerate conference realignment across the NCAA?
• Will the House Settlement lead to unionization or collective bargaining in college sports?
• What’s the single most important thing everyone should understand about the House Settlement?