From the Desk of DeWayne Peevy: November 18, 2024

Dear Blue Demons:

As we navigate a transformative period in college athletics, I want to update you on a preliminary settlement in a group of class action lawsuits focused on name, image, and likeness rights—collectively known as House v. NCAA—and its implications for our athletic programs. By all accounts, this settlement will precipitate the most comprehensive changes in the history of college athletics.

This landmark settlement would represent a significant shift in the landscape, affecting not only DePaul but also all BIG EAST Conference and NCAA institutions nationwide. We philosophically support this change, but the rapid timeline and lack of complete details regarding the settlement will present significant challenges.

We could spend hours discussing the merits of the old system of college athletics versus the new system. As your Athletic Director, I cherish and honor the Blue Demons of past decades, but I must now look to our future. I must guide us on a path to success for all of DePaul—inclusive of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and fans. A path that provides a championship experience for our student-athletes, protects access and opportunity, elevates our institution's national visibility and reputation, and prioritizes our university's long-term financial health.

I met with our staff this week, and we all agreed that our values, culture, and student-centered approach will always remain the same. However, all other aspects of our program are open for evaluation and change. We must be adaptable to succeed moving forward. Moreover, we must remain ardently focused on our business practices to ensure we are positioning ourselves to build on DePaul's tremendous history while meeting the significantly increased financial demands of this new college athletics world. Our staff is working diligently to evaluate the information we have today and develop a bold strategy for our future. We must find ways to increase our self-generated revenues and cut costs.

If the settlement receives final approval in April 2025—which we expect to occur—here are a few of the key changes that will take effect as early as summer 2025:

Institutional Revenue Sharing
Institutions will be permitted to directly share revenue and compensate student-athletes for the use of their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). This is projected to be a significant annual financial impact for DePaul Athletics, which we look to fund through operating expense reductions, private donor support, and increased projected revenues from ticket sales, royalties, and corporate sponsorships.
Roster Limits & Scholarships
Each sport will have a roster limit, meaning a maximum number of individuals can be on a team's roster; previously, this was not the case. Further, institutions will be able to provide as many scholarships as there are roster sports. This will allow the flexibility to allocate additional scholarships to benefit student-athletes across our 15 sports programs. If DePaul were to make a substantial increase in student-athlete scholarships, it would need to be funded primarily via endowed scholarships from private donations.
NIL Back Damages
All NCAA Division I student-athletes eligible for competition between June 2016 and 2024 may also be eligible for back damages. The NCAA and each of its member institutions will collectively pay nearly $2.8 billion in damages to those student-athletes impacted over the next 10 years. To help cover our portion of those damages, DePaul Athletics will see a reduction in our NCAA annual revenue distribution for each of the next 10 years, beginning in FY25.

While these anticipated changes bring new opportunities and increased resources for former, current, and future student-athletes, they also create significant financial challenges for our program. We are incredibly fortunate within the BIG EAST Conference that our new broadcast television deal, announced earlier this summer, will help mitigate this lost revenue.

In anticipation of these changes, we have been working diligently to identify multiple opportunities to reduce our department's operating expenses and maximize revenue. As the college athletics system modernizes, our approach must modernize as well. You will undoubtedly begin to see these changes in the coming months. I care deeply about our institution—its faculty, staff, and students—and am steadfast in positioning us for sustainability and success for all of DePaul.

Change has been a constant during recent years, and we will continue to view change as an opportunity for our program to grow and improve to elevate the university's brand, reputation, and self-generated revenues to benefit all of DePaul—not just our athletics department.

This is a challenging time in higher education and college athletics, yet it's also an opportunity to show the world who we are at DePaul. To help secure the long-term success of DePaul Athletics, we need your support more than ever before. You can make a difference in several ways:

Buy Season Tickets
Make a Tax-Deductible Gift to the DREAM BIG Fund
Make a Tax-Deductible Gift to DePaul's Capital Campaign

These three areas provide DePaul Athletics the utmost flexibility to direct funds where needed most to move our department forward. While challenging times are ahead, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for DePaul Athletics to take significant steps forward nationally and within the BIG EAST Conference. Now is the time to Dream Big. We can and will be successful in this new model.

Thank you for your continued support.

Go Blue Demons!

DeWayne Peevy
Vice President & Director of Athletics
DePaul University

From the Desk of DeWayne Peevy: November 18, 2024

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