Final Four Isn’t The Only Competition Going On Right Now, As Teams Rush To Sign Deals Before House Settlement

You might have heard Kirby Smart this week discussing some of the wild things he has heard when it comes to college basketball and the transfer portal that's currently taking place. Besides the upcoming Final Four, there is a competition taking place off the court that has coaches scrambling to get contracts signed by April 7th. 

If you're wondering why that date is so significant, and why you've heard me discuss this date so often over the past month, look no further than a California courthouse where the House settlement will be decided. On Monday, there will be a hearing where both sides of the ongoing litigation will present their final arguments over the NCAA settlement that will lead to revenue-sharing in college athletics. 

So, why all the fuss in college basketball over this date in particular? Schools have until that ‘deadline’ to sign players to contracts that will not be impacted when the House settlement is approved. In other words, get these players their contracts now, which will be front-loaded, so that they are not part of the settlement that will create a cap on revenue-sharing. 

As you are currently reading this, there are coaches across the country, and in San Antonio at the Final Four, doing their best to get players on their rosters, and from the transfer portal, signed to a deal that will keep their salary for next season off the books when it comes to the rev-share agreement.

Monday Is Pivotal For Teams Across The Country With Player Contracts

If there is a deal that is completed after the judge in California agrees to the settlement, it will be subject to enforcement rules under the new revenue-sharing cap. And while there is a very good chance that Judge Claudia Wilken won't rule on Monday, these teams are not taking the risk of having a potential million-dollar deal be subject to enforcement. 

Multiple sources have told OutKick that basketball teams are currently ‘front-loading’ these deals and will pay-out the contracts of players participating NEXT season, by the July 1st date. This is when revenue-sharing would actually begin. So, how much are we talking about for players currently, and still waiting, in the portal? 

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 2: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers smiles upon arriving in San Antonio for the 2025 Men's Final Four at Alamodome on April 2, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

In speaking with coaches during the NCAA Tournament, I was shown spreadsheets that schools are using right now to determine how much they are willing to pay a player. One team had their financial plan set with top-tier point guards making anywhere between $2 to $3 million for next season alone. A star forward or center can make up to $5 million next year, going off the calculations used by multiple schools. 

"I think every day the rules change. I think that could be the case every day leading up to the next several days," Bruce Pearl said on Thursday. "So I couldn't answer the question because I don't know exactly what revenue sharing is going to look like. We don't know if the case is going to be settled. I'm just glad that the student-athletes are finally able to be compensated, and the market has demonstrated they've been worth a lot more than what they've been compensated in the past.

"We do need some guidelines, absolutely. If we want to have a true national champion, when the ball gets tossed up, we all need to be playing with the same resources, same rules, generally speaking. That's what they do in every other professional sport."

Even With Revenue-Sharing, Collectives Are Still Important With NIL

While we have heard conversations around whether NIL collectives will be an important entity moving forward, you can bet coaches across the country are still thankful they're around. 

They've got the money to spend, thanks to boosters who are donating to the NIL collectives. You didn’t think these were going away, right? No, the collectives are just as important right now for college athletics, especially if a school is going to pay the star football or basketball player the guaranteed money promised during contract negotiations. 

Just because the football program at a powerful school has $15 to $17 million to spend next season doesn't mean they can afford the lucrative contracts that have previously been signed, or will be signed in the future. 

"We are seeing some pretty wild numbers right now, and we're going to pay," a Power-4 coach told OutKick. "What else are we going to do? We can't be beaten by these other schools that are willing to spend the money. The numbers we get from agents has risen tremendously over the past few years, but if we're going to compete with schools that don't have football programs and can put their money into basketball, then we have to pay."

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 2: Emanuel Sharp #21 of the Houston Cougars arrives at the team hotel during the week leading up to the 2025 Men's Final Four at Alamodome on April 2, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

So, when you see your favorite team getting deals done over the next few days, remember that there is a reason why. All of this connects to the upcoming House settlement. 

While Auburn, Florida, Houston and Duke are competing on the court this weekend, you can bet there are representatives of each team scrambling to get a contract signed with a portal player. 

Once that buzzer goes off on Saturday night after the semifinals are completed, the conversations will quickly change to how teams can get players coming back next season to sign on the dotted line.