The Palm Beach County Sports Commission, which established the Lou Groza Award in 1992 that is presented annually by the Orange Bowl, announced last Tuesday that the award will be featured in College Football 25. It will be EA Sports’ first release of the college football video game since 2013.

READ: Charlie Baker believes antitrust settlement will ‘reshape the future of college sports’ in memo sent to members of NCAA

“EA Sports College Football 25 is one of the most anticipated and long-awaited video game titles in history and we are incredibly excited that the Lou Groza Award will be a part of the game,” Executive Director of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission George Linley stated in a release. “The Lou Groza Award is the pinnacle of collegiate football kicking, and we could not be more excited that college football fans from around the world will have a chance to vie for a Groza Award of their own.”

EA Sports released a full reveal of the modes and features within College Football 25 on May 18 after unveiling an official teaser trailer in February. The video game has been among the most-talked about topics in college football as it will return to consoles for the first time in more than a decade. It will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

READ: Report: Former Nebraska, Washington RB Will Nixon transferring to Syracuse

According to Pete Nakos of On3, the Lou Groza Award is the only award under the National College Football Awards Association that will be included in College Football 25, which On3 also reported in March that other honors such as the Biletnikoff Award and Outland Trophy will not be included in the game.

The Heisman Trophy will be included in College Football 25, the Heisman Trophy Trust announced in a social media post in March.

Former Miami (OH) kicker Graham Nicholson, who announced his transfer to Alabama in April, received the Lou Groza Award last season after setting an NCAA record of 25-straight field goals, and he finished 27-of-28 on field goals and 35-for-37 on extra points.

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NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a memo to members of the NCAA on Friday, and he stated the settlement of the House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA cases will help “in our ongoing effort to create a stable, sustainable and equitable model for the future of college sports.” The Ohio State athletic department published the memo, and a full read of it is below.

READ: Report: Former Nebraska, Washington RB Will Nixon transferring to Syracuse

The NCAA and each of the Power 5 conferences jointly announced Thursday that schools can share “up to $22 million with student-athletes per year.” Baker acknowledged there will be future compensation for Division I student-athletes and back damages, though, he thanked everyone within Division I for their “dedication and hard work in getting us to this point.” Baker stated “there is still much work to be done” and NCAA members’ “continued support and collaboration will be crucial.”

Baker stated the “nearly $2.78 billion” in back damages from the settlement will be split 42% paid by the NCAA and 58% among the Division I conferences “based on their distributions over the past nine years.” It will be paid over 10 years, about $280 million per year.

“This will be funded through careful expense management, new revenue initiatives and the use of reserves,” Baker stated.

Baker bulleted three “specific contributions” from a trio of sources, as outlined below.

• Football Bowl Subdivision conferences: $95 million annually (33%).
• Football Championship Subdivision conferences: $37 million annually (13%).
• Nonfootball Division I conferences: $34 million annually (12%).

Had the settlement not happened and trials unfolded, Baker stated the NCAA could have been on the hook to pay potentially $9 billion in “treble damages,” which he stated “would be financially devastating and unsustainable.”

READ: College Football Playoff, TNT Sports reach 5-year sublicensing agreement; TNT Sports to begin broadcasting 2 first-round games in 2024

Baker also listed “several critical objectives” reached through the settlement, as outlined below.

1. It replaces potentially crippling lawsuits with a negotiated settlement and a 10-year injunction.
2. It enables student-athletes to receive up to 22% of the average DI Power 5 athletics revenues — in addition to tuition and other benefits currently provided. Adding all these benefits together, many A5 schools would be devoting nearly 50% of athletics revenue to student-athletes. 
3. It ends decades of antitrust litigation, stabilizing college sports while permitting conferences and the NCAA to enforce rules that set a level playing field and emphasize the educational mission of college athletics.
4. It binds DI together, enabling the NCAA to contribute $120 million annually for 10 years toward back damages.

While Baker stated in closing that the settlement is “a massive step forward for student-athletes and college sports,” he accompanied that sentiment by acknowledging “it does not address every challenge.” Baker stated pending legal issues “such as those related to employment with the NLRB and the Johnson case” are among the obstacles still in need of a solution.

There is the possibility that “if the NCAA outperforms revenue projections and has unplanned surplus net assets, there will be an opportunity to determine how those additional assets can be used to offset the local impact of the damages payment,” Baker stated. 

The NCAA aims “to provide more direct benefits to student-athletes,” and Baker stated “this is a vital opportunity to positively reshape the future of college sports” amid the challenges ahead.

READ: Reports: Big Ten Conference made $880 million in revenue during 2023

Here is Baker’s full memo, via Ohio State.

“Good afternoon,

“I would like to share an update on an important step forward in our ongoing effort to create a stable, sustainable and equitable model for the future of college sports. We have now reached a proposed settlement in three major cases — House, Hubbard and Carter — involving back damages and future compensation for Division I student-athletes. 

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you in Division I for your dedication and hard work in getting us to this point. Your efforts have been instrumental in negotiating this complex settlement and in shaping a more stable future for Division I college athletics. We acknowledge that there is still much work to be done, and your continued support and collaboration will be crucial as we implement these changes.

“The media has covered these lawsuits extensively, with varying degrees of accuracy. The plaintiffs’ demand for back damages is substantial. In the House case alone, the plaintiffs sought approximately $3 billion. If the NCAA were to lose at trial, the courts could impose “treble damages,” potentially resulting in a $9 billion judgment. Such a verdict would be financially devastating and unsustainable.

“The lawsuits address three main issues: compensation for academic-related expenses; name, image, and likeness opportunities; and restrictions on scholarships. We have managed to negotiate the total back damages for these cases down to nearly $2.78 billion, to be paid over 10 years, equating to approximately $280 million annually.

“To address this obligation, we have developed a plan where the NCAA will contribute $1.2 billion over 10 years, representing 42% of the total back damages. This will be funded through careful expense management, new revenue initiatives and the use of reserves.

“The remaining 58% will be distributed among the Division I conferences based on their distributions over the past nine years. This translates to an annual contribution of $165 million, or a 20% total reduction in distributions.

“Specific contributions are as follows:

• Football Bowl Subdivision conferences: $95 million annually (33%).
• Football Championship Subdivision conferences: $37 million annually (13%).
• Nonfootball Division I conferences: $34 million annually (12%).

“While these contributions represent only 1%-2% of total revenues for FCS and nonfootball conferences, individual conferences will need to manage these contributions based on their members’ budgets. I understand this change will not be easy to manage, but given the challenges facing college sports over the last few decades, change is inevitable. I believe the change before us now presents massive new opportunities for student-athletes and all of Division I. 

“And to be clear, the financial estimate is just that. If the NCAA outperforms revenue projections and has unplanned surplus net assets, there will be an opportunity to determine how those additional assets can be used to offset the local impact of the damages payment (e.g., supplemental, pay down).

“Additionally, the forward-looking aspect of this settlement includes a revenue-sharing model allowing schools to provide more direct benefits to student-athletes, including for NIL. This model, starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year, proposes that 22% of average Autonomy 5 revenues can be shared with student-athletes, potentially amounting to $1 billion to $1.5 billion annually.

“This settlement achieves several critical objectives:

1. It replaces potentially crippling lawsuits with a negotiated settlement and a 10-year injunction.
2. It enables student-athletes to receive up to 22% of the average DI Power 5 athletics revenues — in addition to tuition and other benefits currently provided. Adding all these benefits together, many A5 schools would be devoting nearly 50% of athletics revenue to student-athletes.
3. It ends decades of antitrust litigation, stabilizing college sports while permitting conferences and the NCAA to enforce rules that set a level playing field and emphasize the educational mission of college athletics.
4. It binds DI together, enabling the NCAA to contribute $120 million annually for 10 years toward back damages.

“This is a massive step forward for student-athletes and college sports, but it does not address every challenge. There are still pending legal issues, such as those related to employment with the NLRB and the Johnson case. 

“While challenges remain, this is a vital opportunity to positively reshape the future of college sports. In the weeks ahead, the DI governance team will be working through all relevant committees to discuss next steps with you all. 

“There is a lot of work to be done, and we look forward to getting it done with you in the coming months. 

“Sincerely,

“Charlie Baker”

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NCAA President Charlie Baker and each of the Power 5 conferences — the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern — jointly announced Thursday that they’ve agreed to settlement terms regarding antitrust and class-action lawsuits. According to Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press, the NCAA and Power 5 will pay nearly $2.8 billion, expected to be paid over 10 years, to settle several antitrust claims, notably House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA, and the joint statement claimed it “is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come.”

Among the longstanding aspects that made up the foundations of the NCAA is set to change: schools can directly pay players.

Here is the full joint statement from Baker, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petititti, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.

“The five autonomy conferences and the NCAA agreeing to settlement terms is an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come. This settlement is also a road map for college sports leaders and Congress to ensure this uniquely American institution can continue to provide unmatched opportunity for millions of students. All of Division I made today’s progress possible, and we all have work to do to implement the terms of the agreement as the legal process continues. We look forward to working with our various student-athlete leadership groups to write the next chapter of college sports.”

READ: College Football Playoff, TNT Sports reach 5-year sublicensing agreement; TNT Sports to begin broadcasting 2 first-round games in 2024

READ: Reports: Big Ten Conference made $880 million in revenue during 2023

Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. also reportedly released a statement, calling the settlement “necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics.” Here is his full statement according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports.

“The settlement, though undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability, is necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics. To save the great American institution of college sports, Congress must pass legislation that will preempt the current patchwork of state laws; establish that our athletes are not employees, but students seeking college degrees; and provide protection from further antitrust lawsuits that will allow colleges to make and enforce rules that will protect our student-athletes and help ensure competitive equity among our teams,” Jenkins stated via Yahoo! Sports.

Among the expected outcomes from the settlement include the NCAA and universities sharing revenue directly with student-athletes. There could be “millions of dollars” paid to players as soon as fall 2025, according to the AP.

The model for revenue sharing with student-athletes “will cost major conferences a cumulative $1 billion-plus annually,” according to Yahoo! Sports, and schools can share up to $22 million with student-athletes per year — a figure that “was derived from 22% of an average of power conference revenues” and subject to change and exceptions.

According to Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel of ESPN, any Division I athlete dating back to 2016 is eligible to receive a share as part of the settlement class. These athletes therefore drop their claims in three antitrust lawsuits — House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA — and cannot sue the NCAA for other antitrust-related reasons.

Roster size could also be affected as a result of the changes expected after the settlement. According to Yahoo! Sports, scholarship restrictions could be eliminated while roster limits would be implemented.

Bankruptcy was reportedly at risk had the settlement not been reached among the NCAA and Power 5 regarding the lawsuits.

READ: Penn State Board of Trustees approves Beaver Stadium renovation before 2027 season

The ability for student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness began when the NCAA implemented policy in July 2021. Since, college athletics has seen a flurry of changes in almost the past three years, including in areas such as the conference realignment and the transfer portal. Texas senator Ted Cruz hosted an NIL roundtable on Capitol Hill in March discussing its impacts and urging Congress to pass college athletics legislation.

According to Yahoo! Sports, there is likely a five-to-eight month time period before finalization of the settlement to account for official filing, judge approval and individual plaintiff objections among other things.

Final details will be submitted to the court and Judge Claudia Wilken in the next 30 days, according to ESPN.

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On Monday, Snoop Dogg and the Arizona Bowl announced a multi-year sponsorship which will title the game scheduled for Dec. 28 the “Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop.” It is the first alcohol partner as the presenting sponsor in an NCAA bowl game.

READ: Marvin Harrison Jr. brings ‘consistent and disciplined’ approach to Arizona after No. 4 overall pick in NFL Draft

Snoop Dogg said in a social media video that he’s “ready to bring the juice back to college football.”

“College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences, so it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football when it was focused on the colleges, the players, the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry,” Snoop Dogg said.

READ: Drake Maye believes he can ‘fit right in’ New England after No. 3 overall draft pick

READ: Former Oregon State, Nebraska coach Mike Riley appointed to CFP Selection Committee

Launched in February, Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop is an all-natural, lightly carbonated cocktail and “the first ready to drink product from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s new premium spirits company,” according to a release. It’s inspired by Snoop Dogg’s hit “Gin & Juice” from his debut album Doggystyle which released in 1994.

According to a release, charity events and a SNOOPER Bowl will also be held around Tucson.

Snoop Dogg is involved in a wide range of areas, from music to sports to philanthropy and more.

Snoop Dogg leads the Snoop Youth Football League, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing inner-city children between 5 and 13 opportunities to participate in football and cheerleading while also “teaching them the values of teamwork, good sportsmanship, discipline, and self-respect, while also stressing the importance of academics,” according to the organization’s website.

More than 40 alumni of the SYFL have gone on to the NFL.

“Being a fan, coach, supporter of all levels of the game, I’ve sent many players through my SYFL to colleges and the NFL, so it’s only fitting that I step up and help get this thing right,” Snoop Dogg said.

READ: Georgia approves new contract for Kirby Smart; Smart becomes college football’s highest paid coach

The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop will pit one team from the Mountain West Conference and another from the Mid-American Conference. Last season, Wyoming scored 10 points in the fourth quarter while shutting out Toledo to win the bowl 16-15.

“We’re thrilled about our groundbreaking partnership with Snoop and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop,” Executive Director of the Arizona Bowl Kym Adair stated in a release. “This year, the Arizona Bowl is bringing sports, libations, and entertainment into a singular bowl game, and we are changing the definition of what a brand partnership is in the NCAA.”

Playfly Sports, a sports media, marketing and technology business that provides sponsorship sales representation and sponsorship consulting, secured and finalized the agreement between Snoop Dogg and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop, according to a release.

“From the outset, we leveraged fan data to understand the valuable intersection between college sports and entertainment, redefining how the two can intersect,” Playfly Founder and CEO Mike Schreiber stated in a release. “This partnership is a testament to our innovation and commitment to providing an unforgettable fan experience.”

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According to a release, Arizona State and four individuals who worked for the football team reached an agreement with NCAA enforcement staff on violations that “included impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during the COVID-19 dead period, recruiting inducements, impermissible tryouts and tampering.”

READ: NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves ‘optional technology rules’ for 2024 season

Among the agreed-upon penalties “include four years of probation for the school, a fine, a self-imposed postseason ban for the 2023 football season, vacation of records for contests in which ineligible student-athletes competed, scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions in alignment with the Level I-mitigated classification for the school,” according to a release. Arizona State will also dissociate from a booster for five years.

The Sun Devils imposed a postseason ban on the program last season. They will be eligible for a bowl game in 2024.

“Arizona State’s cooperation throughout the investigation and processing of this case was exemplary, and the cooperation began with the leadership shown by the university president,” Executive Director of Athletics Compliance at Oklahoma and Chief Hearing Officer for the Committee on Infractions panel Jason Leonard stated in a release. “The school’s acceptance of responsibility and decision to self-impose meaningful core penalties is a  model for all schools to follow and is consistent with the expectations of the NCAA’s infractions program.”

READ: Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada announces transfer

According to Kyle Bonagura of ESPN, the recruiting violations took place under former head coach Herm Edwards, who was fired after Arizona State began the 2022 season 1-2.

The NCAA stated it found “the underlying violations demonstrated unethical conduct by involved individuals and a head coach responsibility violation.”

Two of the individuals “are contesting portions of their respective cases via written record hearing” after which the Committee on Infractions panel “will release its full decision,” according to the NCAA.

READ: Miami leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. enters transfer portal

The Division I Committee on Infractions will permit Arizona State and the other parties involved “to immediately begin serving their penalties while awaiting the committee’s final decision on the remaining contested portions of the case,” according to the NCAA.

According to the NCAA, it’s the fifth case “where the committee has used multiple resolution paths.”

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The NCAA announced Friday its Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved Thursday “optional technology rules” effective for the 2024 season. Among them is a long-awaited change already prevalent in the NFL: coaches can communicate to a player through helmet technology.

READ: Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada announces transfer

According to the NCAA, “each school will have the option to use coach-to-player communications through helmets to one player on the field,” and that player “will be identified by having a green dot on the back midline of the player’s helmet.”

The communication will turn off “with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever comes first,” according to the NCAA.

READ: Miami leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. enters transfer portal

This marks a highly anticipated move within college football bringing it closer to the professional game. Many coaches have called for helmet technology to be implemented at the college level, and teams experimented with it if they so chose during bowl season in 2023. It will be a welcomed change in 2024.

It’s significant that college football will allow coach-to-player communications through helmets next season. Last year, Michigan was penalized by the Big Ten Conference for having conducted “an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition,” and head coach Jim Harbaugh served a three-game suspension lasting the remainder of the regular season.

Former Wolverines staff member Connor Stalions resigned from the program midseason in 2023. It was found he purchased tickets to at least 30 games over at least the 2021-22 seasons including the 2021 and 2022 Southeastern Conference championships games.

READ: Reports: Colorado CB Cormani McClain enters transfer portal

Among the other approved rules include the use of tablets to view only in-game video featuring the broadcast and camera angles from the coach’s sideline and coach’s end zone, according to the NCAA. There can be “up to 18 active tables for use in the coaching booth, sideline and locker room” for each team, though tablets “cannot be connected to other devices to project larger additional images and cannot include analytics, data or data access capability or other communication access.”

According to the NCAA, “all team personnel” can view the tablets during a game.

Additionally, another change will come when two minutes remain in the second and fourth quarters. The Playing Rules Oversight Committee, according to the NCAA, approved an automatic timeout that “synchronizes all timing rules, such as 10-second runoffs and stopping the clock when a first down is gained in bounds, which coincides with the two-minute timeout.”

READ: Michigan, NCAA reach agreement over recruiting violations; former coach ‘did not participate’

Horse-collar tackles occurring within the tackle box will be penalized “as a 15-yard personal foul,” another change for the 2024 season according to the NCAA.

Head coaches can also interview “with broadcast partners” after the first and third quarters, which the NCAA announced is a permanent rule going forward.

The Football Rules Committee “had a thorough discussion regarding wearable technologies,” according to the NCAA. It met the final week of February, and it “invites non-FBS conferences that are interested in using wearable technologies to submit an experimental proposal to the committee” by June 15.

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According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports, the NCAA “is issuing a blanket waiver for FBS and FCS teams to increase the preseason practice/fall camp roster from 110 to 120 players.”

READ: Reports: CFP deal extended through 2031 by conference commissioners, Notre Dame

The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight and Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committee Administrative Subcommittee requested the roster increase, according to Nick Schultz of On3.

The change will mean teams can have more players on rosters leading into this season. Programs could look to the transfer portal more to fill the new holes on the team.

READ: Reports: Maryland to hire Damian Wroblewski as O-line coach

According to Jaron Spor of Sooners Wire, it’s unclear if the NCAA’s new ruling specifies for scholarship or walk-on players.

The new ruling will be considered for permanent status later this summer, according to Yahoo! Sports.

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In week 0, each offense lost nearly five plays on average compared to 2022. Are five plays really enough to warrant drastic changes in the name of “player safety”? We’ll discuss.

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On Monday, NCAA President Charlie Baker released a letter titled, “The Path Forward,” and addressed to members of the association. 

Across the NCAA the impact of name, image and likeness coupled with conference realignment has taken headlines across the country. While two of the biggest topics in college sports currently, there are additional areas that have challenged the NCAA to consider what it needs to do to adjust appropriately. 

“To address the challenges ahead, the NCAA needs to make real change,” the letter stated. “At my direction and that of the Board of Governors, the NCAA national office and membership have begun a significant range of work to meet that change.” 

Among the steps taken mentioned in the letter include the designation of NCAA Senior Vice President of Inclusion, Education and Community Engagement Felicia Martin to lead and implement changes “to ensure that women’s sports receive equitable support” and that student-athlete experiences are inclusive in ensuring gender equity progress. 

On the topic of NIL, Baker addressed the fact that the Division I Council was directed to “develop proposals to improve the environment” last week. Among the areas the NCAA would like to address further include “transparency measures, the recruiting environment surrounding NIL and the role NCAA schools should play in student-athletes’ NIL activities. 

The NCAA also last week “made a breakthrough” in “advancing the ‘holistic model’ developed by the Division I Transformation Committee in 2022. The holistic model took a next step in that the NCAA “will offer member schools post-eligiblility injury insureace coverage for student-athletes.” 

The NCAA also launched earlier this year a “third-party business and strategy review” in order to “identify opportunities to modernize the NCAA’s organizational structure, work processes and business model,” and it received results Aug. 2. 

The NCAA has a number of topics it can address as well as a number of directions it can go in addressing such matters. It will see a dramatic shift and change in 2024 after the latest round of expansion implements and sees the Big Ten increase to 18 programs and the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences up to 16 apiece. 

Baker’s letter is the latest sign of the NCAA attempting to address critical areas of change and stability. 

“While there are limitations on what we alone can accomplish — which is why we continue to simultaneously advocate for Congress to take action to stabilize the future of college sports — we are committed to exhausting every avenue to reform within our control,” the letter stated. “This has been an exceptionally productive time for the team at the NCAA as we continue to work together to support more than 500,00 student-athletes participating in NCAA sports across the nation.”

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