NCAA and Power Five conferences agree to deal that will let schools pay athletes

• NCAA will allow schools to pay athletes for first time
• Deal sets stage for new revenue-sharing model

The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences announced Thursday night that they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8bn to settle a host of antitrust claims, a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.

NCAA president Charlie Baker along with the commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference released a joint statement saying they had agreed to settlement terms. They called the move an important step in the continuing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and provide clarity in college athletics across all divisions for years to come".