No one said it’s going to be easy. Many foresaw the chaos that would come even with Judge Claudia Wilken approving the NCAA v House settlement. And here we are. It might sound simple. For the first time ever, starting July 1, schools could legally cut checks to their athletes. NCAA president Charlie Baker confirmed the governing body already has $285 million sitting in escrow waiting for court approval to be released. But the whole thing got blindsided by a curveball. And that major roadblock has a name which is the Title IX appeal. On June 11, as the money was preparing for launch, the major road lock slammed down. On3NIL made a developmental report on the NCAA House Settlement on X. It wrote — “Plans to pay the first House settlement back-damage payments have hit pause following a Title IX appeal. Athletes who can collect the $2.5 billion in back damages include Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Zion Williamson.” This was supposed to be a back-damage payment to former athletes who played from 2016 to 2024 without getting a chance to benefit from their name, image, and likeness. Plans to pay the first House settlement back-damage payments have hit pause following a Title IX appeal.Athletes who can collect the $2.5 billion in back damages include Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Zion Williamson.via @PeteNakos_: https://t.co/xBqbIewfIB pic.twitter.com/QnKbNzWHFu— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) June 11, 2025Led by eight former female athletes, this Title IX challenge argues that the proposed back-pay distribution is wildly skewed. “The House Settlement allocates $2.4 billion to mention and only $102 million to women,” objecting attorney Leigh Ernst Friestedt told CBSSports. “This significant dispartity constitutes a violation of Title IX.” It argued that female athletes are being deprived of $1.1 billion. That’s a legal storm brewing with a 96-4 split between male and female athletes. Ninety percent of that payout was always headed to football and men’s basketball players. After all, they’re the faces of college video games and the engines behind broadcast revenue. Court filings show those players were set to receive up to $800K in lost NIL opportunities and approximately $91K in broadcast NIL. The initial check was expected to be out by July 21. But now, it’s on pause with the Title IX appeal delaying the back damage payment process. And here’s where it gets more interesting.Big question marks surface about the NCAA’s futureMany people don’t think the new College Sports Commission and NIL Go clearinghouse can hold. Among those is ESPN’s Dan Wetzel who dropped his raw opinion on The Paul Finebaum Show. “Mostly I feel like it’s an attempted stop-gap towards wherever we’re headed,” he said. “I don’t know that it will survive legal challenges. I still don’t see how this possibly works until they deem college athletes — or at least football and basketball players — as employees.” He’s not wrong. The idea of putting a hard cap of $20.5 million on what schools can spend on athletes feels like fantasy football economics.College football, especially, doesn’t live by caps. Boosters, brands, and backroom deals have always found a way. Now that money’s legal, does anyone really think those same people are going to let a recruit walk because the cap’s tapped out? “I think we’re headed for a level of chaos, a different Wild Wild West or a return to the old Wild Wild West with this system. It’s certainly an interesting day, but I don’t know what changed,” Wetzel added. Starting July 1, schools can legally revenue-share with athletes. Football players are expected to snag 75% of that pot, followed by men’s basketball (15%), women’s basketball (5%), and all other sports combined (5%). That pool will increase each year.But this Title IX appeal may be the first of many standing in the way of the NCAA v House settlement. The fight over fairness, gender equity, and the future model of college sports may only be just getting started.The post NCAA House Settlement Takes Surprising Turn as $2.5B Jackpot For College Athletes Hit With Major Roadblock appeared first on EssentiallySports.