A federal judge last week finalized a multibillion-dollar settlement that will reshape college sports, paving the way for schools to begin directly paying athletes.
So what does it mean for Providence College, one of founding members of the Big East?
Even more fundraising, according to Athletic Director Steve Napolillo.
The settlement guarantees $2.8 billion in back payments to athletes who competed in college sports between 2016 and now, and Napolillo said the Friars’ share of those payments will be “significant.” He declined to say exactly how much.
Then there’s what is being described as a new salary cap, which allows schools to pay $20.5 million a year to its athletes. The cap will increase every year for a decade as part of the settlement.
Advertisement
“As you navigate the landscape, we’re going to do everything we can to maximize new revenue,” Napolillo said on Monday.
Napolillo acknowledged that the salary cap could be an advantage for Big East schools because most can focus on basketball without worrying about also paying high-level football players, but he said it still leaves schools looking for ways to generate money.
For context, the athletic program brought in $10.7 million in fundraising and $8.5 million in ticket sales during the 2023 fiscal year.
Napolillo declined to say whether Providence will consider cutting any of its men’s and women’s sports as a result of the settlement, but non-revenue generating sports across the country could see reductions in scholarships or be eliminated entirely, according to CBS Sports.
Advertisement
“We’re going to have to look at all avenues of how we’re going to be successful in this new model,” said Napolillo, who is just wrapping up a stint as chair of the Big East Athletic Directors.
For now, Napolillo said he’s looking for creative ways to raise funds, including corporate sponsorships, ticket fees, and seeking more donations to the college. He noted that the athletic program now holds eight golf tournaments a year for fund-raising purposes.
“This is a challenging time in higher education and college athletics,” Napolillo said. “I don’t make the rules, but I have to navigate them.”
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @danmcgowan.