Power Conferences Sign Off On NCAA Settlement Representatives of the five major Division I conferences signed off on a $2.7 billion legal settlement that will, in part, allow 62 FBS schools to share up to $20 million per school per year for selected athletes.The Big East Conference is not a party to the settlement.The case, House v. NCAA, seeks antitrust violations against the NCAA for failure to provide name, image, and license opportunities (NIL) for student athletes in the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, Southeastern, and Atlantic Coast Conferences, commonly known as the "Power 5" or "P5". NCAA counsel has recommended a $2.77 billion settlement rather than fight a court case, which if it loses could result in damages of $20 billion, bankrupting the NCAA and threatening further litigation against member institutions. As part of the proposed settlement, 69 schools in the Power 5 are responsible for $1.1 billion of the settlement damages; $470 million for 63 FBS schools known the "Group of 5" or "G5" conferences (American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Mid-American, Conference USA); and up to $100 million across all other Division I conferences, including the Big East. The balance of the settlement, $1.66 billion, would be covered by insurance, NCAA reserves, and cost cuts at its headquarters, reported Yahoo Sports. The details of the proposed settlement in an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA may cost Big East schools millions in NCAA revenue distributions over the next decade, according to reports. Over the weekend, the Big East expressed opposition to the distribution. "For example, the cost annually for the Big East Conference is projected at between $5.4 million and $6.6 million over the next decade, according to a source familiar with the memo," writes Pete Thamel at ESPN.com. "The West Coast Conference, another successful basketball-centric league, is expected to annually pay between $3.5 to $4.3 million. The lowest level of annual payouts expected to be withheld for smaller leagues is just under $2 million, which is estimated to be more than 20 percent of what those leagues get from the NCAA annually." On Saturday, a statement by Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said, in part, "Based on the numbers we have reviewed, the liability of the 22 non-FBS conferences under the proposed formula appears disproportionately high, particularly because the primary beneficiaries of the NIL back pay amounts are expected to be FBS football players. I have voiced the Big East's strong objections to the proposed damages framework through recent emails to [NCAA president] Charlie Baker and his counsel and through comments during commissioner calls over the past two weeks."
"You really have to think about [the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and ACC] as different," plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler said according to Yahoo Sports. "The reason we get tied in knots is because we conflate those schools who have developed these gigantic independent commercial businesses with the schools who are still just educational institutions with extracurricular activities. When you try to come up with one rule for all, you go crazy. You have to look at the schools differently. For the ones with the money, there is plenty of money to compensate the athletes and share it with the women's sports." According to projections, a reduction of annual disbursements to Georgetown of $600,000 per year would be a 12 percent reduction of the amount remitted to the University by the Big East in 2022-23, according to the conference's IRS Form 990 disclosure. Coach Cooley Honored At Stonehill Head coach Ed Cooley received an honorary doctorate at commencement activities Sunday at Stonehill College, where he graduated in 1994.In a recitation of the degree by professor Constantinos Mekios, associate professor of philosophy, Cooley was honored "as a mentor to countless student-athletes over the years."You have encouraged the young men you coached to support their teammates, play fair, and lead on and off the court... for your dedication and passion for helping young people exceed their potential as players and people, you have earned appreciation and acclaim from student athletes, colleagues, fans, and the Stonehill community. For your leadership and your contributions to the whole person, Stonehill College is proud to bestow upon you Ed Cooley, honoris causa, the degree of doctor of humane letters." Cooley's remarks to the graduates can be found at the 1:20 mark of the ceremonies. Schedule Update A pair of schedule updates from late last week:
Commencement Week 2024 Commencement exercises this weekend will honor four graduates in Georgetown men's basketball.The on-campus ceremonies, which date to 1817, took place in numerous ceremonies across the undergraduate and graduate programs. Two seniors (Jay Heath, having received his degree Thursday, and Wayne Bristol), one graduate student (Jonathan Kazor, graduating in August), and an accelerated graduation by junior Ryan Mutombo were honorees per the official commencement program.Congratulations to the players and their families, and best wishes to all graduates. NIL Tourney Shakes Up Battle 4 Atlantis The popular Battle 4 Atlantis holiday tournament is searching for a replacement after Creighton University dropped out to participate in a NIL-fueled multi-team event in Las Vegas.The eight team, three day event, titled the Players Era Festival, promises each participating school $1 million in NIL payments and an additional $1 million to the winner, financed by a promoter with ties to the United Arab Emirates, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Creighton was the last of eight schools to make a multi-year commitment to the event, which will also include Alabama, Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, and Texas A&M, to play at T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly known as the Mandalay Bay Events Center.To date, no network has signed on, with some speculation it will be picked up on a streaming service. "One source told CBS Sports that Creighton pursued the opportunity after the initial publishing of this story on May 7, when one spot remained unclaimed. As a result, the Bluejays will have to pay a buy out to leave the Battle 4 Atlantis MTE," wrote CBS Sports.com's Matt Norlander. Also of note: "Battle 4 Atlantis organizers are now attempting to recruit a replacement Big East team for that event.", which on Thursday was projected as Providence, which will withdraw from the Hall of Fame Showcase as a result. The current Battle 4 Atlantis field consists of Arizona, Davidson, Gonzaga, Indiana, Louisville, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Conference Realignment: Dissension In ACC Circles The demise of the Pacific-12 conference was envisioned to begin a period of peace in the vortex of major conference realignment. Instead, the conversation has pivoted to the Atlantic Coast Conference.After weeks of reports that Clemson and Florida State are examining ways to extricate themselves from the ACC's media deal, a third university has stepped into the discussion: North Carolina. WRAL-FM reported Monday that the UNC Board of Trustees will meet in closed session this week to confirm an audit of its athletic department, which announced a $17 million deficit in 2025 on projected revenues of $138 million."Carolina's ability to maintain excellence at a high level is going to require really prudent budgeting and revenue models and potential cost cutting," said trustee Dave Boliek. "A lot of it is due to the revenue, or lack thereof, of revenue that we're not receiving from the ACC deal." Boliek is openly discussing a new conference opportunity, should it become available. "I am advocating for that," he said. "That's what we need to do. We need to do everything we can to get there, or the alternative is the ACC is going to have to reconstruct itself. I think all options are on the table." Meanwhile, its commissioner is the subject of a critical feature in Sports Illustrated titled: "ACC at a Crossroads: Jim Phillips Facing Internal and External Threats to League's Survival". "In a tumultuous time, he was tasked with keeping the conference viable and healthy. I think he's done that, said Louisville AD Josh Heird. "[But] has he pushed it forward? That's the real question, and I think it's a difficult one to answer." Added another: "His strategy with ESPN is kindness - ESPN doesn't respond to kindness." "What's more pressing [for Phillips] is the potential chain reaction that blows up the league if [Clemson and Florida State] depart," writes SI's Pat Forde. "Miami would be at the front of the pack to follow them, but North Carolina would loom largest as a hotly desired property by both the SEC and Big Ten. For a league whose soul has always been Tobacco Road, that's the existential threat." And then there was this provocative statement from former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski: "We have a conference," said, "that in a lot of ways wants to split." In a comment that harkened back to Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese unsuccessfully proposing an alliance between the conferences over 20 years ago, Krzyzewski suggested that some ACC schools consider opportunities with the Big East. "I'd like to see us talk to the Big East and say, let's form the best football-basketball conference. Not everyone has to play football. There's only one conference that thinks about basketball every day of the year, that's Val Ackerman and the Big East. If you're a partner with them, that's a really good thing." Transfer Portal: #20 There's still more work to be done, but Georgetown's inbound transfer class is rated favorably by national publications.One of these: 247Sports.com, ranks Georgetown 20th in its list of top transfers. The Hoyas are second to St. John's among Big East schools after SJU signed Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond to make the move to Queens.It's presumed that Georgetown is still in the market for a center among three open scholarships, but how deep will teams sign to complete a roster? It's an issue discussed recently by new Arkansas coach John Calipari, late of Kentucky. (Arkansas ranks at the top of the aforementioned transfer list.) Speaking on a podcast last week, Calipari suggested he will recruit only eight or nine scholarship players out of the 13 allowed. "They're leaving anyway, and why would I develop a kid for someone else? Why would I do that?" he said. Calipari suggested he was open to recruit former players as managers to support in-team practices rather than offer additional scholarships. The current Georgetown roster, formally unconfirmed, features 10 scholarship players and four walk-ons, but with only two players taller than 6-8. Last season's roster featured 11 on scholarship and five walk-ons. Georgetown Adds Fourth 2024 Transfer With four open scholarships remaining, Georgetown addressed depth at forward Wednesday by signing Jordan Burks, a promising transfer from Kentucky.Originally from Decatur, AL, the 6-9 Burks enjoyed a well traveled high school career, with stops at Heritage Christian (AL), Southern California Academy (the former home of GU's Drew Fielder) and Hill crest Prep (FL), where he averaged 27 points per game but high school rankings varied wildly, variously listing him from 88th nationally to 342nd.After committing to Mississippi in the summer of 2022 before his senior season at Hillcrest, Burks decommitted at Ole Miss following a coaching change and signed with Kentucky in June 2023. In a scoring report, ON3.com noted that Burks "is a fluid athlete with some pop. He needs to tighten the handle and learn his reads. Finding his spots on the floor and working toward those would help grow his game. There is so much natural talent here with tools and upside." His first season with the Big Blue was a challenging one. Moved to center early in the 2023-24 season following injuries to Aaron Bradshaw, Zvonimir Ivisic and Ugonna Onyenso, Burks was then repositioned as a wing forward, scoring only 37 points in 20 games for the Wildcats, 13 of which came in a 109-77 rout over Vanderbilt. Following the departure of head coach John Calipari to Arkansas, the 2023-24 Wildcats scattered, with Edwards declaring for the NBA Draft and Thiero following Calipari to Arkansas. Burks was widely expected to transfer to Arkansas before Georgetown's offer. "To Coach Calipari, I want to say thank you for taking a chance on a young man out of Decatur, Alabama," Burks said on a social media post. "Under your guidance, I learned so much about how to unleash all my potential and the true meaning of hard work and accountability." Prior to the transfer, Burks was the last scholarship player remaining at Kentucky from the past season; going forward, none return for new coach Mark Pope. Burks arrives to Georgetown with potential, but at just 200 pounds, he does not address Georgetown's depth problems at center following the transfers of Supreme Cook and Ryan Mutombo. Burks may provide reserve help behind fellow transfers Micah Peevy and Curtis Williams at forward, and has three years of eligibility. His ranking continues to vary wildly, with numbers ranging from the 291st (via 247Sports.com) available transfer in the portal to over 500th. "Burks was always viewed as a developmental guy, but he certainly showed flashes of becoming a solid bench contributor by year two," writes the UK site known as A Sea of Blue. "Now, he'll hopefully get to play a bigger role with the rebuilding Hoyas, who are entering Year two of the Ed Cooley era." Ryan Mutombo To Georgia Tech Junior center Ryan Mutombo has announced a transfer to Georgia Tech following his expected graduation from Georgetown next weekend, according to a social media post.Mutombo grew up in Atlanta and played at the Lovett School there, and will have a graduate year of eligibility there.
Rowan Brumbaugh To Tulane Freshman guard Rowan Brumbaugh is the third of six outbound transfers to find a new home, announcing a transfer to Tulane on Monday afternoon.As a freshman, Brumbaugh started 20 games for the Hoyas, leading the team in scoring four times, with a season high 24 against Xavier. He chose Tulane over Washington, according to reports.
Help Wanted It's becoming a flashback to 2023.Having missed on a number of available transfers, including Hunter Dickinson (Kansas) and Cam Spencer (UConn), the new Georgetown staff entered the 2023-24 season with only nine active scholarship players and matched its 2-18 Big East mark from a season prior.A year later, Georgetown enters May with nine scholarship players and a significant experience deficit up front. In a spring transfer period that saw possible Georgetown targets go elsewhere (most recently Duke forward Sean Stewart to Ohio State and Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, to Alabama), the Hoyas are back at nine scholarship players. Here's a depth chart of the 2023-24 team. Players in gray are not returning this season.
Entering the 2024-25 season, Georgetown remains inexperienced up front and reliant on freshmen to carry the load at key positions. Returning players are listed in white below, freshman in blue, and inbound transfers in gold.
It's unlikely Ed Cooley is going to sit on four open scholarships this year but the remaining talent in the transfer portal is diminished, and while open scholarships in the transfer era is a lot more fluid, the staff will still seek to have space to recruit the high school class of 2025, despite only one senior on the expected 2024-25 roster. Cooley To Receive Honorary Degree Head coach Ed Cooley will receive an honorary degree from Stonehill College, per an announcement.Cooley, a 1994 graduate of Stonehill, will be awarded a doctor of humane letters at its commencement exercises on May 19.Transfer Portal Update The transfer portal has officially closed but activity continues across the Big East.With assistance from Verbal Commits.com, here's a recap of the changes by teams across the conference:
Reserves lost: 4
Reserves lost: 2
Reserves lost: None Incoming transfers: None
Reserves lost: 3
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