It's a new era in college football, and players are finally getting paid.
The Oklahoma Sooners have decided to take a proactive approach to this new era.
The NCAA and its Power 5 conferences recently agreed to a multibillion dollar settlement on several antitrust lawsuits. Along with a $2.7 billion payout for damages, the settlement resulted in a massive change with universities being allowed to opt into a revenue-sharing program that would allow schools to give out roughly $20 million per year to their athletes.
Oklahoma is taking a proactive approach to this seismic change to college athletics. ESPN insider Adam Schefter posted to X that the Sooners will work with former Philadelphia Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg and his consulting firm, The Athlete Group, as an advisor to help with the program's transition into the NIL/salary cap era of college football.
University of Oklahoma Athletic Department will work with former Eagles executive @jakerosenberg33 and his consulting firm @theathletegrp to advise on their impending transition to the ‘salary cap’ era of college athletics, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2024
Those around the sport consider it to be… pic.twitter.com/Wp91FoCgzs
It's worth noting that the final details of the NCAA's settlement have yet to be ironed out. However, the Sooners have decided that they'd rather be prepared and get ahead of any future payments to athletes instead of reacting to whatever is decided on by the NCAA.
Rosenberg worked with the Eagles for over a decade. He served as the NFL team's vice president of football administration and director of football administration, but is also considered one of general manager Howie Roseman's closest advisors.
The Sooners may be taking an early approach to the salary cap era, but they will be far from the first university to start looking into the logistics for paying its athletes. Expect more programs to follow suit in the coming weeks, months, and years.
