El Podcast

E143: From Student-Athlete to Employee: The NCAA’s New Era

Episode Summary

Indiana University professor John T. Holden breaks down how lawsuits, NIL deals, and the House settlement are reshaping college sports. Professor Holden explains why direct pay, roster limits, and legal pressure may soon turn student-athletes into employees.

Episode Notes

Indiana University professor John T. Holden explains how lawsuits, NIL deals, and direct payments are transforming college sports—and why athletes may soon be recognized as employees.

👤 Guest Bio

John T. Holden is a business professor at Indiana University specializing in sports betting, gambling regulation, and legal issues in college athletics. His research focuses on the intersection of sports, law, and policy.

📚 Topics Discussed

• The 2021 Alston Supreme Court ruling and its ripple effects
• Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) law and state competition
• The 2025 House v. NCAA settlement and direct athlete payments
• Roster caps and the future of walk-ons
• Legal risks, employee classification, and collective bargaining
• Winners and losers of the new system
• Impact on coaching, recruiting, and smaller programs
• The future of academics for paid athletes

📌 Main Points

• Alston & House Cases: These opened the door for athlete compensation and more antitrust litigation.
• Direct Payments Begin: Starting in 2025, schools can pay athletes up to $20.5M—but they must fund it themselves.
• Rising Inequality: Star players in football and men’s basketball will benefit most; walk-ons and niche sports may disappear.
• Legal Uncertainty: The NCAA is resisting employee classification, but labor peace likely requires unionization and collective bargaining.
• College Sports Will Survive: Holden believes the system is evolving, not collapsing, and employee recognition may stabilize it long-term.

💬 Top 3 Quotes

• “The NCAA is basically providing all the benefits of employment—minus actually calling them employees.”
• “No one's tuning in to watch university presidents in skyboxes—it's the players on the field who create the value.”
• “This is not the end of college sports—it’s just the end of pretending it’s still amateur.”