House vs. NCAA settlement approved, allowing schools to pay athletes

A judge in California has formally approved a landmark $2.8 billion settlement that will change the complexion of college athletics.

Judge Claudia Wilken, a senior judge with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accepted the agreement in the so-called House vs. NCAA case that actually combined three separate antitrust cases against the NCAA.

The ruling means schools that choose to opt in to the settlement will be able to pay their athletes directly for the first time.

Those schools, which include UNLV, will also be required to pay a portion of the $2.8 billion owed to former athletes as part of the agreement.

The parties argued their case for approval in front of Wilken in April, but the judge expressed concern over the proposed roster limits that could caus