Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has resisted commenting publicly about the potential House vs. NCAA class action lawsuit that will radically change college athletics. That was until Friday.

Del Conte sent a letter to Longhorn Foundation members explaining what the potential settlement could mean in hard dollar figures to Texas Athletics.

“The landmark settlement will have significant implications for student-athletes, sports programs, our peers in the Southeastern Conference and all of NCAA intercollegiate athletics,” Del Conte wrote, according to a copy of the email obtained by A to Z Sports.

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Del Conte then outlined the seismic changes that will impact the Longhorns financially starting in the 2025-26 athletic year. The final House vs. NCAA settlement is scheduled to be ratified in April 2025. 

And along the way, Del Conte insisted that Texas athletics will "maintain its status as the gold standard bearer within NCAA athletics." Texas athletics does not receive any public money for coaches salaries, scholarships or expenses. All revenue is derived through SEC TV agreements, ticket sales and private donations. 

First is the NIL renumeration to pay all athletes anywhere from $22-23 million annually for use of their name, image and likeness. There is thought among high-level administrators that NIL will be brought totally in-house in the future, effectively ending the idea of amateurism as a concept. Athletes would paid like employees.

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With this brings new NCAA roster limits with hard caps, thereby eliminating walk-ons. For example, football could expand from 85 scholarships to 105. That’s an increase of 20 additional scholarship players, but UT will have to cut some current walk-ons from the program.

Baseball would move from 11.7 scholarships to 34. Men’s basketball would go from 13 to 15. Other sports see similar changes.

“This will enhance financial aid benefits available to student-athletes,” Del Conte wrote to Foundation members. The scholarship changes are expected to cost an additional $11.5 million annually among UT’s 21 varsity sports.

Del Conte promised that “we will maximize these new opportunities and continue supporting our student-athletes without eliminating any sports or reducing current scholarships or support service benefits.”

Texas is also expected to contribute money to the pool earmarked to pay former athletes from 2016-21 for their NIL rights. The NCAA is expected to pay $3 billion over the next 10 years.

“Texas Athletics will receive an ongoing reduction in NCAA annual revenue of approximately $1.5 million per year for the next 10 years to cover our portion of these damages,” Del Conte wrote.

For the Longhorns, these financial changes are important but will not disrupt the department. The Longhorn Foundation announced it had raised $200 million in cash and pledges for the 2023-24 athletic year.

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For other smaller schools, losing $1.5 million from its NCAA revenue and having to pay more in scholarship money will hurt dramatically. It’s unclear how schools will be affected over time.

But for now, the Longhorns appear to be taking the House agreement in financial stride.

“This is a pivotal moment for Texas Athletics,” Del Conte wrote. “Together, with your unwavering support, we will embrace these new opportunities to secure and maintain our future success.”