College sports changed radically Friday night.

Schools will begin directly paying their athletes in less than a month, thanks to a legal settlement that was officially approved in federal court Friday. Judge Claudia Wilken said the deal would create "ground-breaking changes in NCAA rules that govern student-athlete compensation."

The battle to let players share in the spoils of an industry that has long outgrown any amateur roots it ever had started more than 20 years ago. While Friday's decision was a long-awaited milestone, both players and administrators said they view it as a fresh starting point for the future of college sports, not a finish line.

Sports fans can be forgiven for tuning out of the tedious legal process that led up to this point. Let's get up to speed on what this

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