Dr. Maggard Revenue Sharing Letter
The following was found in my email inbox this afternoon. I am sure many other supporters received the same.
Greetings Cajun Nation,
This past Friday the House v. NCAA settlement was finalized representing a historic moment in college athletics. As a result, we now have a clear path forward that represents a new day in college sports; one that provides a unique opportunity for RaginÂ’ Cajuns Athletics.
For the first time ever, college athletics departments will be allowed to share revenue directly with student-athletes. Starting July 1, schools in the Sun Belt Conference, and other conferences, will have the option to distribute up to $20.5 million per year to student-athletes in addition to athletics scholarships, third-party NIL earnings and other benefits. Although we will not fully approach the cap allowed by the settlement, Louisiana Athletics is committed to supporting our student-athletes through revenue share.
Our Athletics staff has spent the past year preparing for this anticipated outcome as we identified cost saving opportunities that will allow for a budget neutral revenue share model for the upcoming fiscal year. Without question, this model is what will drive our competitive success moving forward.
In addition to the reallocation of internal resources, donor and local businesses can provide additional support to the revenue share model. In the upcoming weeks, we will share detailed information on how you can directly support revenue share through the RCAFÂ’s new Cajuns Edge fund. By investing directly through our athletics foundation, individuals can receive tax benefits along with priority benefits and points.
Per the settlement, student-athletes will continue to be able to benefit from Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities with outside businesses. Our RaginÂ’ Cajuns Sports Properties corporate sponsors are already showing tremendous support through their respective sponsorships. It is important to know that third-party NIL deals will now be required to report through the newly established online platform NIL Go. This is being done to ensure such deals are appropriately regulated.
More so today than ever, our vision and mission remain the sameÂ…to be a nationally prominent Division I athletics program. We will accomplish this by inspiring elite performance and achieving greatness every day.
Please know our staff is committed to working with each of you through transparent, informative and honest communication. We look forward to a very bright and successful future as we embark on this transformational time in college athletics.
Geaux Cajuns,
Bryan Maggard, Ph.D.
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
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