NCAA says that multidivisional schools with a D-I sport can opt-in to the House settlement (#528)

I’ll post a weekend preview issue later today, but this news was worth a standalone update.

We’re just over two weeks from the NCAA’s deadline for schools to opt-in to the House v. NCAA settlement. Programs must inform the NCAA by March 1 if they plan to opt-in for the 2025-26 season.

Earlier this week, the NCAA sent a memo to all member schools detailing the process of opting in, and what it means for their programs.

Athletic directors also received a one-question survey from the NCAA.

“Does your institution intend to deliver additional benefits to student-athletes pursuant to the proposed settlement in the House litigation during the 2025-26 academic year?”

Every Division I athletic department — and multidivisional schools with a Division I sport — received the survey.

The NCAA also clarified that D-II and D-III athletic departments that sponsor a D-I sport — which applies to several college hockey programs — can opt-in only for their D-I sport. The House requirements would only be applied to their D-I sport.

That’s new information, and it applies to several college hockey programs.

In a sense, it could be a huge advantage for some teams (I’ll explain below).