Houston Christian University filed a motion to intervene in the House v. NCAA lawsuit on Thursday, arguing that HCU’s financial interests were not adequately represented by the proposed terms of the House settlement agreed to last month.
The motion, if granted, could signify the first of many objections from smaller universities that felt they did not have a sufficient voice in a potentially historic reshaping of college sports.
HCU’s motion to intervene stems from dissension that arose in the weeks before the proposed settlement, with smaller Division I schools and conferences arguing a lack of input in the settlement negotiations and disproportionate financial responsibility. The House settlement terms, which have yet to be submitted to the judge for preliminary approval, include a future revenue-sharing model directly from schools to athletes as well as $2.75 billion in back-pay damages the NCAA will owe to former Division I athletes who were previously barred from earning name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation. An overwhelming portion of those damages are expected to be distributed to former power-conference athletes, according to sources briefed on the settlement.
“We’re in a position where we believe this raises some issues of fiduciary responsibility,” HCU…
