In response to today's approval of the House v. NCAA settlement agreement by the Honorable Judge Claudia Wilken, four national collegiate coaching associations-the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)-have issued a joint statement recognizing the progress made while expressing serious concerns about the implications for broad-based collegiate athletics.

While the settlement represents a significant step toward resolving antitrust claims related to athlete compensation, the associations caution that it may have devastating consequences for non-revenue sports.

"We are concerned that the new financial obligations placed on schools will force administrators to divert attention and resources away from non-football and non-basketball sports-the very programs in which the majority of NCAA student-athletes participate," the statement reads. "This is no hypothetical. Budget cuts and program eliminations have already occurred in anticipation of today's decision, and more are likely to follow."

The associations also emphasized the settlement's failure to resolve key issues related to student-athlete employment classification and Title IX compliance-factors that compound the uncertainty for Olympic and broad-based sports.

Calling on Congress to intervene, the organizations stressed the need for a balanced and equitable path forward that protects opportunities for all student-athletes-not just those in revenue-generating sports.

The four associations reaffirm their commitment to advocating for legislative solutions and will continue working collaboratively to protect the future of Olympic and broad-based sports within collegiate athletics. Their current legislative priorities, in addition to ensuring athletes are not classified as employees and advocating for uniform NIL regulation, include:

Protect: Establish proportional spending targets by classification to safeguard meaningful investment in Olympic sports.

Maintain: Codify the current NCAA sport sponsorship requirements outlined in NCAA Bylaw 20-16 sports for FBS programs, and 14 for FCS and non-football Division I institutions.

"The future of college sports must not disproportionately benefit a small fraction of the NCAA student-athlete population while jeopardizing opportunities for others," the statement continues. "Congress must intervene to ensure schools can maintain robust sport sponsorship and continue allocating meaningful resources to non-football and non-basketball programs."

For more information about the NWCA, visit www.nwcaonline.org.