One person who is definitely not happy with the House settlement is Paul Finebaum. The analyst is adamant that the decision, which takes effect from July 1, is a major setback to the NCAA. With the finalisation of the agreement, ushering in a new NIL, athletes now have all the space to earn more money. And in true Paul Finebaum style, the analyst didn’t hold back his criticism towards the parties set to make gains because of this decision. Also, the analyst shared some serious problem areas that could take heat.

Paul Finebaum speaks his mind. He will not restrain his train of thought about any entity, whether it is in a positive or negative light. Blunt and brutal, Finebaum is once again firing away at the NCAA. “It’s going to be the big schools on top, the rest of college athletics is going to suffer,” he said in an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter. Every program is coming up with its own strategies about how to make the most of NIL funding in this new era. Paul Finebaum, however, thinks that the most challenging aspect of college football will remain unchanged after this settlement.

He said in a June 9 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, “The biggest issue in college athletics is the portal. That’s what coaches scream about because they’re constantly on the go, having to re-recruit their roster. So, I think that’s really where the action is. I’m not sure this agreement is going to affect that.” The agreement now establishes a $20.5 million cap for big-time college football programs. But that doesn’t make the transfer portal any less lethal. Finebaum also implied a dark future for college football, going high-key on his imagery and labels. The House settlement essentially gives the bigger programs the upper hand in CFB, according to Paul Finebaum.

“The problem is that you have these four power four commissioners and they are essentially like the bosses of the of the of the New York families back in the day… They meet twice a year at the best Italian restaurant in Little Italy, and that you hope nobody gets killed,” the analyst said. Patrick also concurred. “It’s all about money, Paul, and there’s more money to be made. They love making their money.” In fact, the host said alarmingly, “At some point in my lifetime, I think we get to 50 colleges… I just think, and there’s going to be some schools that might go, you know what, we’re going to drop football. We don’t want to spend money.”

The settlement is changing college football for good. Paul Finebaum thinks the NCAA is no longer viable because of Judge Claudia Wilken’s signature on that 76-page agreement.

Paul Finebaum announces the death of the NCAA

There’s no beating around the bush for Finebaum. “I couldn’t help but think back about 10 years ago, when Mark Emmert, then the President of the NCAA, essentially said college athletes will be paid over my dead body. He’s still alive, but the NCAA is dead,” the critic said in the SportsCenter appearance. The judgment creates a marked difference in the world of college football, vetting the way NIL controls in college football. Finebaum thought that college sports in general just seemed very hollow from this point onwards.

“It (NCAA) may still be in existence. We’re still having tournaments, such as the Women’s World Series and the Men’s Baseball Tournament, but the NCAA, as we know it, is gone. They literally have no jurisdiction whatsoever, other than to be tournament directors,” Finebaum added. The NCAA will now just be on standby as the college commission, headed by MLB bossman Bryan Seeley, takes charge. And it’s not just that. The NCAA losing control is just a small part of the bigger picture. With big players like Ryan Day and Dan Lanning gaining more out of this decision, others have to fight for a space in the sport.

“This was supposed to level the playing field. Everybody pays the same into the kitty and then divides it up, but it will do anything. The big will get bigger, and the small schools will simply slip away… At some point, fans are going to start tuning out,” he warned. Finebaum now fears that the same big players, who have the money and the privilege, will dominate college football. They are now in a position to push the smaller players off the face of college football. It’s going to be recurring fixtures of the same old big names. The lesser-known programs will struggle between surviving college sports and competing for a place in Div-I football. Finebaum is simply advocating against how unfair the situation has become for these players.