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Good morning. It's Monday, November 4.

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After the House v. NCAA settlement received preliminary approval last month, schools across the country are bracing for the revenue-sharing era in time for the 2025-26 sports year. The power conferences are also preparing their members by informing them of the projected cap, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported.

Schools were informed of the projected $20.5 million cap last week, Dellenger said. That figure is 22% of the average Power Four school revenue in the previous year, and the cap will rise 4% each year as part of the settlement agreement.

The $20.5 million is lower than the previous estimates of $21-22 million. Regardless, that sum is for schools to use at their own discretion and share with athletes.

Revenue-sharing is just one part of the House v. NCAA settlement, though.

Potential scholarship increases are coming across sports, as are new roster limits if the agreement is certified. The proposed rosters include football (105), men's and women's basketball (15), baseball (34), men's and women's soccer (28) softball (25) and volleyball (18).

Judge Claudia Wilken preliminarily approved the House v. NCAA settlement after previously telling attorneys to "go back to the drawing board" during the first hearing. After the approval, NCAA president Charlie Baker released a statement praising the decision and what it means for the future of college sports.

"We are thrilled by Judge Wilken's decision to give preliminary approval to the landmark settlement that will help bring stability and sustainability to college athletics while delivering increased benefits to student-athletes for years to come," Baker said. "We look forward to working with all of Division I, and especially student-athlete leadership groups to chart the path forward and drive historic change."

Preliminary approval was just the first step toward final approval of the House settlement, though.

It's still a long way to the finish line to usher in the revenue-sharing era. Notice campaign and claim periods began last month as athletes received the terms and claims procedures.

The first back-damage payment is due May 15, 2025, or within 45 days of the settlement's finalization. According to the long-form settlement agreement, the average damages award for a football or men's basketball player at a power conference school will be approximately $135,000.

The settlement also allows for objectors. Some have already come forward, including former and current rowers at Yale, Oregon State, George Washington and Texas. The deadline for objections is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2025, which is the same day the claim period will close.

The motion for final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement is on March 3, 2025. The final approval hearing is then scheduled for April 7, 2025, and will be held remotely and in person. – Pete Nakos & Nick Schultz

When Johnny Manziel was at Texas A&M, he was on top of the college football world. "Johnny Football" was a household name as he went on to win the Heisman Trophy and eventually go to the Cleveland Browns as the No. 22 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

But NIL was still eight years away when Manziel ended his junior season. That meant he wasn't able to make money through endorsement deals as he rose to stardom.

If he could, though, he said it would be a "game-changer."

When Manziel signed his rookie contract with the Browns, it was worth $8.2 million over four years with a fifth-year option. Because of how popular he was in college, though, he argued he could've made more money at Texas A&M – which is why his path could've been different.

"I think for me, obviously being able to make an amount of money like that, I would've made more money staying in college than I probably would've on a rookie contract," Manziel said on Almost Friday Media's Glory Daze podcast. "So, I felt pressure to go to the NFL to try and make a dollar amount that nobody in my family had really, I didn't see from my dad, I didn't see from anybody else that was in my immediate family.

"So, for me, it was a huge financial incentive to be able to do it. If I could have stayed in college and stayed in school and continued to live the life that I was living while making money, I think for me it would've been an absolute game-changer."

Manziel burst onto the college football scene in 2012 when he became the first freshman to ever win the Heisman. That year, he threw for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns to help the Aggies to an 11-2 record.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Manziel threw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns as he finished fifth in the Heisman voting. He then went to Cleveland, where he spent two years before leaving the Browns and playing in other professional football leagues.

But Manziel's career wasn't without controversy.

Notably, he wound up at the center of an investigation into allegations he accepted payments for autographs. While the NCAA determined Manziel didn't accept money for the autographs, he still received a suspension for an "inadvertent violation" of NCAA rules. Under the NCAA's current NIL guidance, Manziel would be able to profit from autograph signings. – Nick Schultz

"When a young man comes in and does an NIL contract or whatever and then something goes astray – or, whatever happens – then it affects the whole entire thing. Everyone knows that. You just gotta try your best to work through them. I can't imagine being a player and worrying more about the money side than the game side. But you just hope that you just keep teaching and keep teaching – especially with a new team every year – that they'll bond together to say, 'Let's win.' And then everything else will take care of itself." – Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway discussing the role NIL has in building a team

+Raising Cane's partnered with Sportiqe to create a new line of branded lifestyle gear, and the chicken-finger-focused restaurant tapped four top athletes to promote the gear through new NIL deals.

Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, USC volleyball outside hitter Ally Batenhorst, LSU guard Trace Young and Oregon guard Deja Kelly are promoting the apparel through the deals. The four athletes are top players in their sports but also boast massive followings on social media. For example, Kelly has more than 1.3 million followers.

Raising Cane's unveiled the collection and their new partners via an Instagram post last week, highlighting each athlete and the Sportiqe apparel in behind-the-scenes content from a recent photo shoot. The Raising Cane's Sportiqe apparel collection is available at RaisingCanes.com.

+Benko Financial Services partnered with Georgia football standouts Arian Smith, Christen Miller and Dan Jackson on NIL deals to promote the company's wealth-creation services. As part of the deal, the trio will appear at a special client appreciation event that benefits the Oconee Area Resource Council's Food for Kids program, which provides food to children in Oconee County Schools who face hunger over the weekend.

+Class of 2027 quarterback Mason Holtzclaw of Easley (South Carolina) Christ School signed a multiyear exclusive NIL deal with Leaf Trading Cards. Holtzclaw is one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 recruiting class. He's thrown for 2,237 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first two seasons as a varsity starter. He already has double-digit scholarship offers, including from top programs like South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Florida State.