Gators can pay players directly, but how to do that is complicated

Florida Football made headlines this week because of its failed NIL deal with Jaden RashadaThe core question is what role Billy Napier when setting up the NIL contract and how much of it was negotiated by third parties.

But an important court ruling yesterday now says that universities can be directly involved in the process of paying out player funds, which could help mitigate awkward situations like the one Florida found itself in.

In a move nearly everyone expected, the House v. NCAA lawsuit was settled yesterday. As part of the agreement, the NCAA will pay former and current athletes $2.7 billion over the next decade, and going forward, schools will be able to pay their athletes up to $22 million annually.

We have reported in the past that Florida should be in a much better position than most to deal with this new reality in college sports. By having a seat at the table in the SECThe Gators have a much better revenue stream in their coffers than most of the country. According to USA todayFlorida's athletic department is one of only 20 departments expected to make at least $10 million in profit in 2023.

But just because the Gators can pay $22 million directly to their athletes starting in 2025, the question of how Florida or any other school will handle it becomes the complicated part.

The $22 million is not currently earmarked exclusively for football, but can be spent on any sport. At Florida, which prides itself on being an all-around talent school, that could lead to some difficult decisions. Would you allocate $1 million to softball, track, baseball, gymnastics, etc. if it meant potentially losing some players to football?

Even if you want to put the entire $22 million into football, will Title IX allow it?

Or the fact that on paper, Florida can't even spend an extra $22 million. According to 2023 financial reports, Florida made a profit of about $14 million. So if they want to pay out the maximum, where will the money come from?

Could sports such as golf, swimming, tennis and athletics be at risk simply for reasons of cost and profit maximisation, even though these sports have won national titles?

It's good to streamline revenue streams so Florida doesn't have to rely on the average fan or shady supporters to fund Florida football, but there's no guarantee there won't be collateral damage in the process.