Dozens of schools around the country are also finalizing plans to begin distributing such checks to their athletes, some with stricter eligibility criteria. Just be eligible. The ACC, SEC, Pac-12 and Big 12 have all announced they plan to allow their schools the right to determine how to handle the NCAA vs. Alston ruling —a 9–0 Supreme Court decision in June that opened the door to these payments while rocking the governing body of college athletics and further cratering its amateurism model.
The high court’s ruling makes it possible for programs to offer an assortment of educational-related benefits, including unlimited graduate school, vocational and study abroad scholarships, paid internships, computers and equipment, and tutoring. And, of course, up to $5,980 in cash for “academic awards,” says Jeffrey Kessler, the victorious attorney in the Alston case.
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