Pirate Nation,

Thank you for your support of the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund and Seton Hall Athletics. Your generosity is critical to our department, and we are grateful for your loyalty and passion in helping our student-athletes.

As many of you know, this is a pivotal time in the history of college athletics. Name Image and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal have already significantly changed the way we operate. We unequivocally support our student-athletes generating revenue through NIL opportunities and have made tremendous strides in this new environment. The next wave of change will come from the House vs. NCAA settlement. The settlement is expected to receive approval in April 2025 and will pave the way for payments to former student-athletes, revenue-sharing payments for current student-athletes, and new roster limits beginning with the 2025-26 academic year.

As we navigate a transformative period in college athletics, I wanted to provide you with some updates as it relates to how Seton Hall Athletics plans to operate in this new environment. First and foremost, we have been and will always continue to be dedicated to ensuring our student-athletes have a first-class experience in South Orange. We are committed to excellence in the classroom and in the field of competition and we are guided by that principle as it relates to how we operate as a result of the House vs. NCAA settlement. Below is a breakdown of how aspects of the settlement may affect Seton Hall:

NIL Back Payments

The NCAA and each of its member institutions will collectively pay nearly $2.8 billion in payments to student-athletes who participated from 2016 to 2024 and were not allowed to participate in NIL activities due to NCAA rules. To help cover those payments, Seton Hall Athletics will see a reduction in the NCAA annual revenue distribution for each of the next 10 years, beginning in FY25. We are fortunate that our new BIG EAST Conference broadcast media deal will help mitigate this lost revenue.

Roster Limits and Scholarships

Previously the NCAA did not limit roster sizes, it limited the number of scholarships that could be awarded in each sport. Each sport will now have a roster cap, meaning a maximum number of individuals can be on a team's roster and institutions can provide as many scholarships as there are roster spots. We intend to align with imposed roster limits per the House Settlement guidelines with further discussion and exploration of a scholarship strategy for the future.

Revenue Sharing

Institutions will be allowed to share revenue directly with student-athletes. This is projected to have a significant annual financial impact for Seton Hall Athletics. The funds raised annually through the Pirate Blue Athletic Fund provide a multitude of resources to our department for our student-athletes and moving forward will serve as the primary engine to fund student-athlete revenue sharing. In anticipation of this change, we have been working diligently to identify opportunities to reduce our department's operating expenses and increase revenues.

We are supportive of revenue sharing with student-athletes as it provides a level of stability in what is currently an unstable environment. To do this successfully, it will be critical for us to make adjustments and generate additional revenue. Our success in this area is up to all of us, including each fan, alumnus, and supporter. Our level of revenue generation (i.e.: donations, tickets, corporate partnerships, licensing, and special events) will play a vital role in helping us build the next generation of Seton Hall Athletics.

What does all of this mean? It means that we are evolving, but we will not lose sight of our student-athlete-centric model in which young men and women come to Seton Hall to compete at the highest level and graduate with a first-class degree. It means that Seton HallUniversity remains committed to competing for BIG EAST and national championships. And we will continue to hold true to our high standards for student-athletes who represent our University with class and distinction while pursuing excellence on the field and in the classroom.

Currently, the Onward Setonia collective serves as our primary fund for student-athlete NIL opportunities. I am incredibly thankful to the loyal alumni who have administered this operation and for all the loyal supporters who have contributed to it. The future of Onward Setonia will be re-evaluated once we gain more clarity from the House Settlement details in April, however, right now, Onward Setonia will continue to actively fundraise for our student-athlete NIL opportunities, and we need Pirate Nation to support it.

I am confident in our ability to be a premier institution within the BIG EAST Conference, and we will do it by partaking in this new landscape of revenue sharing and continuing to create opportunities for our student-athletes. I know that you are deep rooted in your support of Seton Hall Athletics, and I hope that we can count on your continued support in this new era. There are numerous ways to get and stay involved including becoming a basketball season ticket holder, donating to Pirate Blue and Onward Setonia, attending events and buying merchandise.

You can also help by getting others involved. The more that our fans are sharing with their family/friends/co-workers about the importance of NIL and revenue sharing and how it will help Seton Hall Athletics remain competitive, the better off we will be as we look to grow our base of supporters.

Thank you for all you do for Seton Hall Athletics!

Go Pirates!

Bryan Felt
Director of Athletics & Recreational Services