The Citadel Joins NCAA Settlement: A Shift in Strategy

The Citadel, a military college, has changed its mind about joining the NCAA settlement. This deal lets schools share money with athletes. The school's president, Gen. Glenn Walters, said they will join starting in the 2026-27 season. This comes after a meeting with the Board of Visitors. The school first said no to the deal last year. But now, they think it's a good idea. The settlement was approved by a judge in June. It ends lawsuits that said the NCAA was unfairly limiting what athletes could earn. The Citadel will now pay back damages to athletes who couldn't earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) before 2021. This will cost them about $275, 000. They got $753, 000 from the NCAA last year. The school's athletic director, Art Chase, said this decision shows they are serious about competing in Division I sports. They are part of the Southern Conference. Only Virginia Military Institute in that group hasn't joined the settlement yet. The settlement came from lawsuits against big schools. The NCAA will pay out $2. 77 billion. Most of this money comes from TV deals for big events like the men's basketball tournament. The NCAA will pay 40% of the damages, and schools will pay the rest. The Citadel still managed to help athletes with NIL deals even though they didn't join the settlement. This shows they were finding other ways to support their athletes. The school's change of heart might help them stay competitive in the future.