Federal Judge Claudia Wilken has made college sports history again by approving the settlement to House v. NCAA, a landmark court case in which a class of athletes sued college sports’ governing body and its five wealthiest associated conferences for damages related to lost earnings and the right to be paid directly by the institutions they play for.

Judge Wilken handed down her ruling on Friday night, concluding five years of litigation in this case and adding another milestone to the NCAA’s decades-long struggle to keep college sports an amateur enterprise.

The comprehensive settlement addresses a wide range of issues.

First and foremost, it establishes a $2.8 billion fund for back damages to former athletes — everyone who played sports at a Division I school between July 15, 2016 and

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