Things are really shaking up in college football. The House vs. NCAA settlement is set to kick in on July 1st, and it’s bound to change the game. This new agreement is designed to tackle the wild free-for-all surrounding unregulated NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals. Starting this summer, schools in the Power 4 and other Division I programs will have a better shot at keeping their athletes, since they can actually pay them directly from a revenue-sharing pool that’s about $20.5 million per school in its first year. But there are definitely some complexities to work through. One of the outcomes could be a real eye-opener for Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart and his career.
The new $20.5 million allocation will be crucial to every school, marking a strategic win. A few of them have their own distinct buyout clauses, where the players are obliged to pay the money back in case they leave before the end of the agreement. Some also have a cap for compensation, varying according to their performances and playing time.
But the most serious clause among them all might be an injury clause. Falling into the trap of injury is a recurring horror of athletes. Holding out money due to that sounds like a big concern. “With some negotiations, we were very direct that if you’re not healthy, you’re not getting the money,” a power conference personnel director told The Athletic.
If that’s what Oregon decides to go by, Evan Stewart might find himself in deep water. With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden departing the program, it was Stewart who was supposed to carry the torch, being the top target for quarterback Dante Moore.
The Texas A&M transfer caught 48 passes for 613 yards and a career-high five touchdowns during the 2024 campaign. But before the Rose Bowl, he took a blow to his lower back. To add to the woes, he suffered a torn patellar tendon during this week’s practice, putting his 2025 season availability in severe jeopardy.
“Thank you for all the well wishes, I’m on the road to recovery,” Stewart assured the fans. “Don’t put a timeline on me. Following God’s Plan! Thank you for the prayers! 7 be back soon.” The medical team revealed that he will be out for at least 6 to 12 months, which means he can either show up late in December or miss the entire season. Utilizing a redshirt for the 2025-26 football season can also be on the board for the former five-star prospect.
Now, the big question it begs: will it really cost Stewart a lot of money? Well, it might not be the case. When it comes to empathy and taking care of student-athletes, very few programs can match the level of Dan Lanning and AD Rob Mullens.
Rob Mullens breaks down the plans to back their student-athletes
Just a few days back, fans made a monkey out of Coach Lanning on X as he posted a cringe-worthy activity to satisfy his 2026 EDGE recruit, Richard Wesley. He straight jumped into the pool alongside the recruit wearing shorts. The clip went viral, with fans heavily booing him for the gesture.
Lanning was called out for losing his head coach personality and giving in to the wishes of the targets/players, only to keep his roster sane amidst the NIL conundrum. However, if you think otherwise, it has a different perspective. Lanning and Oregon boasted a huge NIL backup from Phil Knight and Nike. So, he doesn’t even have the fear of falling behind in the NIL race. So, it might just be a coach being open and attentive to his players’ overall happiness and comfort. The program is paying its players the same attention when it comes to distributing the settlement money.
AD Rob Mullens said, “We want to do everything that we can for our student-athletes. Our collective has been phenomenal in creating business opportunities for student-athletes in all of our sports. So yes, we’re going to distribute that $20.5 million [revenue sharing] cap.”
They even think of facilitating 3rd-party NIL for coaches and athletes, which is huge. Bottom line? You can rest assured that the athletes’ side will be protected at any cost and at every cost. A NIL sacrifice for injury? Not true under Dan Lanning.
The post Oregon’s $20.5 Million Blessing Jinxed for Evan Stewart as NCAA House Settlement Fallout Signals Trouble for WR appeared first on EssentiallySports.