Morgan State athletic director Dena Freeman-Patton faced a tough choice this year as she considered a new framework that allows colleges and universities to pay athletes directly.

While opting in to the House settlement allows schools to remain competitive and attract top athletes, it can also create new financial pressure. Meanwhile, there are concerns that new limitations on roster sizes could shut women out from opportunities to compete, especially in non-revenue-producing sports like track and field.

This is a familiar conundrum for leaders across the U.S. in the wake of the $2.8 billion antitrust settlement , which dismantled an amateur model that defined college sports for more than a century. But the challenges are especially acute for historically Black colleges and universitie

See Full Page