GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota Director of Athletics Bill Chaves released the following statement on the House v. NCAA settlement.
 
"We eagerly await a federal judge's decision about how the case of House v. the NCAA will be settled. The settlement is expected to involve $2.78 billion in damages to be paid by NCAA member schools like UND.
 
The settlement will have conditions that allow member schools to "opt in" to an agreement that would enable revenue sharing with student-athletes but would simultaneously limit the number of student-athletes who could play intercollegiate sports.
 
Here's the odd part: The NCAA is requiring that we declare whether we plan to opt in by March 1, while the lawsuit's settlement will not occur until April 7.
 
Here's the other odd part: Schools such as UND had no voice in the settlement, yet we would still have to pay damages, whether we "opt in" or not.
 
Today we indicated to the NCAA our intent not to opt in at this time. We believe this is the most responsible course of action, as the lawsuit has not yet been settled, and all the conditions are not yet known. Of course, we will revisit this decision at this time next year or post the settlement decision on April 7th.
 
UND has made an incredible commitment to our student-athletes through scholarships, through other financial support, and through investment in facilities. This commitment to our student-athletes will continue as we give them opportunities to compete at the highest level.
 
The NCAA proclaims student-athletes will receive "extra benefits" if a university "opts in." This may be the case for some, but in the aggregate and if you consider the roster limits for all sports, this settlement might actually harm sports and student-athlete participation at UND as well as other student-athletes around the country. Further, if one asks the right questions, you may actually discover that schools such as UND might be supporting student-athletes in a greater way financially than some "opt in" schools.

Without any input from member institutions, the NCAA made another curious decision recently (February 12th). Schools that compete across multiple divisions (Division I, Division II, and Division III) are now allowed to "opt in" to their specific Division I sports on a program-by-program basis.
 
This decision gives these schools a special status and benefit that are not conferred to broad-based Division I programs like UND, which must "opt in" for all or "opt in" for none. Sponsoring broad-based programming is a long-valued tenant of the NCAA that is being trampled on by this decision.
 
We will continue to monitor the situation to do what is best for UND, our student-athletes, UND athletics and the State of North Dakota. All who have been working in NCAA Division I athletics since June of 2021 know that everything is fluid and can change daily."
 
For more information on North Dakota Athletics, follow on social media @UNDsports or visit FightingHawks.com.