UNM Athletics – NCAA House Settlement FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions that you may have about the House vs. NCAA Settlement; what it is, and how will it effect UNM Athletics and you as a fan and as a supporter, and what are the next steps.
1. What is the House v. NCAA Settlement?
This is a class-action agreement (House v. NCAA), approved by the court on June 6, 2025, that allows Division I institutions like UNM to provide significant new financial benefits to student-athletes—beyond what was previously permitted—including backpay for missed NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunities dating back to 2016. It also establishes a future revenue-sharing model beginning as early as the 2025–26 academic year. While there is no minimum required, schools may choose to share revenues with student-athletes up to a cap, which is estimated at approximately $20.5 million per institution in Year 1—equivalent to 22.5% of the average athletic department revenue generated from media rights, ticket sales, licensing, and sponsorship among Power Five programs. Each individual school can decide how to distribute the revenue share amongst its sports teams and student-athletes.
2. How does this impact UNM Athletics?
UNM Athletics has been diligently preparing for this new era of college athletics and is prepared and equipped to support the new structure of directly compensating student-athletes for use of their NIL Our department embraces the new opportunity it presents our student athletes and feels that this model will allow us to not only sustain our recent success but amplify it across all our programs.
3. How and when will UNM Athletics implement these changes?
UNM will follow the NCAA’s approved timeline, beginning July 1, 2025. Our first implementation steps include:
- Launching a student-athlete revenue-sharing program within NCAA guidelines. Some Lobo student athletes will begin receiving revenue share payments in July 2025.
- It is important to note that revenue sharing is not new revenue for Lobo Athletics. There is no separate pool of “new money” to fund these obligations. Instead, we will have to cover these costs through a combination of existing and new revenue streams — including ticket sales, fundraising, and media rights — along with targeted reductions in spending to manage these new financial responsibilities.
- The Lobo Club, through our Lobo Alliance initiative, will take full responsibility for all fundraising efforts related to NIL and future revenue sharing, helping ensure that Lobo student-athletes can thrive in this new era of college athletics.
4. What is the Lobo Alliance?
The Lobo Alliance is an initiative created to support Lobo Student athletes through revenue sharing. The Lobo Alliance highlights the full alignment between 505 Sports Venture Foundation, the Lobo Club, and Lobo Athletics. The Lobo Alliance’s goal is to sustain and accelerate our programs success and allow Lobo Athletics to remain competitive in the Mountain West and on the national level through talent acquisition and retention.
5. How do these changes impact 505 Sports Venture Foundation?
505 SVF, the collective has supported UNM Student Athletes since 2021, will remain an important partner with Lobo Athletics. While they will no longer be the primary source of NIL support directly to our Lobo athletes, they will continue in collaboration with Lobo Athletics work to support our student athletes and engage our community.
6. Do scholarships change under the settlement?
Yes. The agreement removes the previous limits on the number of scholarships per sport and instead uses roster limits.
7. What does this mean for Lobo student-athletes today?
Lobo student-athletes can expect:
- Expanded financial aid options and scholarship opportunities
- For revenue producing sports, access to institutional revenue-sharing payments (within the NCAA cap).
- Continued NIL opportunities from third-party entities.
8. How can fans and alumni support UNM student-athletes?
Ways to support include, but are not limited to:
- Purchasing or renewing season tickets.
- Donating to the “Lobo Alliance”.
- Donating to Student Athlete Scholarships through the Lobo Club.
9. Is UNM participating in back-payment distributions?
Yes. The NCAA is overseeing back-pay distributions for eligible student-athletes who competed from 2016 to the present. The NCAA will withhold approximately $500k/year from UNM’s annual distribution.
10. Are Lobo Alliance contributions tax-deductible?
Yes, contributions to the Lobo Alliance are tax-deductible. As always, please consult with your tax advisor. The UNM Lobo Club is a registered 501(c)3 organization for the University of New Mexico Athletic Department.
11. Will my donation to the Lobo Alliance count toward Lobo Club Priority Point totals and benefits?
Yes. Donations made to the Lobo Alliance will count toward your Lobo Club Priority Point total. For every $100 donated, you’ll earn 1 Lobo Club Priority Point.
In addition, all donors to the Lobo Alliance will be recognized as Lobo Club members and will continue to receive benefits consistent with our current offerings. These benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Access to postseason ticket opportunities (e.g., bowl games, NCAA tournament).
- Invitations to exclusive Lobo Club donor events.
12. Can I designate my gift to a specific student-athlete?
Based on tax counsel advice, you may not designate a particular student-athlete. As always, please consult your personal tax advisor. Much like the awarding of a scholarship, revenue-sharing funds will be at the discretion of the head coach.
13. May student-athletes still enter Name, Image, and Likeness agreements with businesses?
Yes, student-athletes may continue to engage in name, image, and likeness opportunities with entities outside of UNM, subject to the rules implemented by the House Settlement and enforced by the NCAA. Name, Image, and Likeness exceeding $600 in aggregate must be reported to the NCAA and will be reviewed by an independent clearing house.
These deals will be reviewed by the NCAA and independent clearing house based on the following three factors:
- Payor association status: the relationship between payor and the student-athletes school).
- Valid business purpose: whether the use of NIL is being used for a valid business purpose.
- Range of compensation: whether the compensation paid is commensurate with compensation paid to similarly situated individuals).
If you or your business are interested in engaging a UNM student-athlete for an NIL opportunity, we recommended contacting 505SVF or the UNM Athletic Department.