As the NCAA moves into a new era of athlete compensation, not everyone is celebrating. In fact, some of the sports that have long made collegiate athletics a uniquely broad and vibrant enterprise are warning that the changes ahead could jeopardize their very existence.
Following Judge Claudia Wilken’s final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement — a landmark decision ushering in revenue sharing and the potential for multimillion-dollar athlete payments — several collegiate coaching associations came together in a rare show of unity to issue a stark warning.
In a joint statement released this week, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) urged Congress to step in and protect Olympic and non-revenue sports from being collateral damage in the NCAA’s new financial structure .
“This is a defining moment for the future of college sports,” said AVCA CEO Dr. Jaime Gordon. “The AVCA has consistently advocated for a sustainable path forward, one that upholds both fairness in athlete compensation and the foundational principle of broad-based participation. That balance is at risk, and action is needed now.”
Why the Concern?
Under the House settlement framework, Power 4 conference schools (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) and other opting-in Division I programs will soon be allowed to share revenues with athletes, with early models suggesting 70-90% of those dollars will go toward football and men’s and women’s basketball .
For Olympic sports — swimming, wrestling, track & field, volleyball, gymnastics, and dozens of others — this is an existential threat. These sports do not generate major TV or ticket revenue but rely heavily on institutional funding supported by broader athletic department revenues.
Now, as schools face budget strain from the $2.8 billion in damages they owe and new ongoing athlete payments, these Olympic and non-revenue programs fear they will be first on the chopping block.
Cuts Are Already Happening
This is not an abstract concern — it’s happening already.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen schools like Stephen F. Austin, Eastern Illinois, Cal Poly, and UTEP announce cuts to sports like tennis, swimming, diving, and volleyball — all citing the changing economics of college sports post-House settlement.
The AVCA warns that these ripple effects will stretch far beyond the college ranks, ultimately impacting youth sports, high school participation, and even Team USA pipelines for future Olympians.
What Are the Coaching Associations Proposing?
The joint statement calls on Congress to enact two specific protections:
Proportional Spending Targets — Establish sport-based spending targets to ensure Olympic sports still receive meaningful investment relative to football and basketball.
Preserve Sponsorship Requirements — Codify the current NCAA sport sponsorship minimums (16 sports for FBS schools, 14 for FCS and non-football D-I) to guarantee broad-based athletic opportunities .
Without these protections, the concern is that Olympic sports will steadily erode as schools chase financial solvency in a new NCAA landscape dominated by football and basketball priorities.
A Larger Question for College Sports’ Future
While much of the recent debate around college sports governance has focused on the balance of power between the NCAA and the Power 4 — with the latter now poised to control revenue-sharing enforcement — the voices from the Olympic sports community remind us of an even bigger question:
Are we comfortable allowing major college sports to become an increasingly exclusive enterprise?
The Power 4 schools have the resources to adapt to the new compensation model, but most of Division I does not. If the system moves toward one that serves only the richest schools and revenue sports, thousands of athletes in Olympic sports will lose their chance to compete, and college sports will lose the broad-based, diverse structure that has long made it special.
A Call to Action
“We need Congress to step in with clarity and fairness ensuring that the future of college athletics includes more than just a few sports,” Gordon said.
In a world where nearly every NCAA headline centers on football-driven power consolidation, this joint statement is a critical reminder: the soul of college sports depends on protecting opportunities for all athletes — not just those destined for professional leagues.
The time to act, these coaches argue, is now — before the new financial reality consumes everything in its path.
