The Day Finally Arrived

Well, the day finally arrived. Late last night, Judge Wilken issued final approval of the House v. NCAA settlement.

It’s not the exact outcome we had hoped for — but there is one critical detail: schools now have the option to grandfather in their student-athletes. That option didn’t exist a few months ago. And while I could get into the weeds of what was approved and what wasn’t, I’m going to spare the technicalities — because honestly, I’m just exhausted. Emotionally. Mentally. All of it.

This entire experience has been unlike anything I’ve ever gone through. And yet, despite the fatigue, I feel immense pride. Pride in what we built. Pride in how we showed up. And pride in the impact we made.
 
A Movement Born From Nothing
Roster limits were slipped into the proposed settlement with little explanation and almost no warning. At first, nobody really noticed. Nobody was talking about it. But slowly — and then all at once — a group of passionate advocates began to connect. Emails turned into calls. Calls turned into planning. And planning turned into momentum.

We are the reason this settlement was not rubber-stamped on April 7.
We are the reason the plaintiffs and NCAA had to shuffle back into court with a "new and improved" version.
And we are the reason schools now have a path — even if optional — to do the right thing.

 
What We Saw Behind the Curtain
This battle revealed a lot about college athletics — and honestly, some of it was hard to stomach. We saw administrators, conference presidents, and even some coaches act in ways that were downright cruel and deliberately deceptive. Lies were told. Promises were broken. And student-athletes were used as cannon fodder in a legal and political war they didn’t ask for.

But amid the darkness, there were glimmers of real courage. Marsha Lycan. Dabo Swinney. Notre Dame. And a handful of others who risked their reputations to stand up for what was right. To them — thank you. Your willingness to speak out against this machine meant more than you know.

 
Deep Gratitude to the Truth-Tellers
A special thank you to Philip Sheng, Mit Winter, Sam Ehrlich, Joe Sabin, Ryan Mulvaney ann @4common_cents — amazing voices of reason and integrity throughout this process. Your ability to thoughtfully decipher the legal and policy implications, and your willingness to ask the hard questions — like why roster limits were ever part of this settlement in the first place — gave so many of us clarity and courage. Your work mattered.

 
To the Team That Carried This
To the core Roster Limits team — GC, JB, LR, MO, HR, DE, RB, Tracy, LR, Cory, KC, PS — you are all extraordinary. We must’ve shared over 100,000 texts. We laughed. We cried. We strategized at midnight. We got loud. We got discouraged. And we got back up, every time, because these student-athletes deserved someone in their corner.

This was a crash course in grassroots advocacy. I kept waiting for “someone official” to step in and fight for these kids. But that person never came. So we had to become the people we were waiting for. That’s the lesson I’ll carry with me: don’t wait for someone else to do the right thing. Sometimes, you’re the one. And you won’t be alone — you’ll find others who care just as deeply, if you’re willing to start.

It’s Time to Move On
This chapter has been long, emotional, and at times overwhelming. But it’s time to move on.

We fought hard, and we made a difference. If our updates helped you, if you have a story to share, or if you just want to reach out — please do. You can email us anytime at rosterlimits@gmail.com.

We may be stepping back from the spotlight, but the impact of what we did will stay with us — and hopefully, with the student-athletes we stood up for.

With deep gratitude,
-Jackie