Monmouth University’s Athletics are preparing to undergo big changes due to the school opting into the House vs. NCAA settlement. According to the New York Times, it is a landmark ruling from May 2024 that allows Division I college athletes to receive pay directly from universities and establishes a revenue sharing model for athletes. The uncertainty of the future has left many with questions on the ongoing shifts in Division I college athletics.
Joe D’Antonio, commissioner of the Coastal Athletic Association for the past ten years explained that the front end of the settlement is an incredible monetary payoff to the student athletes. When schools opt in, he said, “…your institution has utility to provide financial benefits to students in ways that they have never had a chance to. So the examples of that are direct institutional NIL payments.”
Jen Sansevero, Director of Athletics at Monmouth University, said, “The house settlement came from a court case where student athletes from power four institutions felt like they were owed money from institutions profiting off of their name, image and likeness.”
She explained that the settlement is still with the judge and is expected to be accepted around the first week of April. Sansevero added that Monmouth does intend to opt in, along with the rest of the members of the CAA.
Monmouth University’s Head Track and Field Coach, Jordan Torney, discussed how this ruling would affect track and field and cross country athletes at Monmouth. He explained that one of the major changes would be new roster caps on all teams. Torney said, “Cross Country would be limited to 17 athletes…for track it’s 45 per gender including distance athletes.” Athletes were informed of this towards the beginning of the fall semester and some feel insecure about this new change.
With the settlement being accepted last April, new roster cuts could be made over the next few years, leaving the athletes who are not selected to return to their team with a few months to make decisions on their future athletic career. Torney sees how roster cuts could have a negative effect on some athletes, but he also believes that positive things can result from it. “Having a smaller roster will allow us to provide more meal money, go to better meets, and provide more gear to all of our athletes,” said Torney. He also pointed out the possibility of a graduate assistant coaching job, and better equipment since the team would have more money to work with.
Torney also explained how roster cuts could possibly hurt enrollment at Monmouth since there would be fewer spots on the team for track and cross country athletes. The student body consists of approximately 5,000 students, 590 of those students are athletes. Torney said, “As a coach, moving forward I have to be more selective with who I can recruit because I won’t have the luxury of having the depth that I did in the past.”
Joe Compagni, former Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Head Coach, said, “Opting in will give Monmouth the opportunity to continue to compete at the highest level possible.”
Landee Pierre, a sophomore hurdler and shot put athlete on the Women’s Track and Field team, expressed her concerns regarding the possible roster changes. She said, “I feel kind of insecure in my position because I’m already here as an athlete and the roster change could genuinely put me out of a sport that is also funding my academics… I might have to definitely transfer to find a school that meets my needs as both an athlete and a student.”
While loss of scholarships was a concern for some athletes, Sansevero explained that scholarships will not be taken away from any athletes that will not have the opportunity to return to the team. She said, “Regardless of legislated reduction in rosters, if a student athlete’s opportunity to be part of a team or be on a roster is adjusted or impacted in any way, we’re going to still continue to provide that scholarship for that student athlete through graduation.”
Sophomore Monmouth Track and Field pole vaulter Naomee Adisa believes that the roster cuts are not fair. She said, “Even if they are able to keep their scholarships, what does that really mean if they can’t do their sport and compete and they’re not on the roster for their team. If they work so hard to get there in the first place and now you’re just taking that away from them, it’s not right.” Adisa is an addition to the few freshmen that have expressed concern towards the settlement and its effects on the team’s roster.
Some student athletes would turn into just students. Torney added,“A lot of athletes’ identity is tied to their sport, with this all of a sudden being taken away from them it will hurt. They will be forced to find something else to do if they cannot join a new team. It’s an unfortunate situation because I wouldn’t recommend someone to leave an institution and go somewhere else just for their sport.”
Some of the athletes that lose their roster spot will have the option to compete on Monmouth’s rec teams. Compagni said, “We are fortunate to have a well-supported club sport system at Monmouth in addition to sponsoring 23 programs at the NCAA Division I level.” Sansevero added that they are exploring the ideas of creating additional rec programs to allow athletes to remain engaged with the university.
“I do think that the benefits of opting in outweigh some of the difficulties or challenges…,” said Sansevero. She believes that with these changes continuing athletes won’t just be another number on a team. According to Sansevero, they would have the opportunity for more individualized instruction, more resources, and possible NIL opportunities.
Matthew Harmon, a Specialist Professor in Sports Communication and an award winning sports announcer, said, “I believe college athletics will look different in the next two to three years than it even does right now. I hope that Monmouth will continue to be competitive in the CAA and a mid-major school that is a destination for all sports. We are lucky to have a great foundation of athletics here and an amazing group of student-athletes.”
