E143: From Student-Athlete to Employee: The NCAA’s New Era

Indiana University professor John T. Holden explains how lawsuits, NIL deals, and direct payments are transforming college sports—and why athletes may soon be recognized as employees.

👤 Guest Bio

John T. Holden is a business professor at Indiana University specializing in sports betting, gambling regulation, and legal issues in college athletics. His research focuses on the intersection of sports, law, and policy.

📚 Topics Discussed

• The 2021 Alston Supreme Court ruling and its ripple effects
• Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) law and state competition
• The 2025 House v. NCAA settlement and direct athlete payments
• Roster caps and the future of walk-ons
• Legal risks, employee classification, and collective bargaining
• Winners and losers of the new system
• Impact on coaching, recruiting, and smaller programs
• The future of academics for paid athletes

📌 Main Points

• Alston & House Cases: These opened the door for athlete compensation and more antitrust litigation.
• Direct Payments Begin: Starting in 2025, schools can pay athletes up to $20.5M—but they must fund it themselves.
• Rising Inequality: Star players in football and men’s basketball will benefit most; walk-ons and niche sports may disappear.
• Legal Uncertainty: The NCAA is resisting employee classification, but labor peace likely requires unionization and collective bargaining.
• College Sports Will Survive: Holden believes the system is evolving, not collapsing, and employee recognition may stabilize it long-term.

💬 Top 3 Quotes

• “The NCAA is basically providing all the benefits of employment—minus actually calling them employees.”
• “No one's tuning in to watch university presidents in skyboxes—it's the players on the field who create the value.”
• “This is not the end of college sports—it’s just the end of pretending it’s still amateur.”

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
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