File photo / Provided
Greg Glynn of Pliable Marketing
Updated: June 10, 2025
After landmark NCAA settlement, UMaine opts to punt on player pay
Photo / Courtesy of the University of Maine
The University of Maine, an NCAA Division I school in multiple sports, said it will opt out of a settlement on athlete pay for the 2025-2026 year "but will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves."
Despite the green light for schools in the National College Athletic Association to pay student athletes directly for the first time, the University of Maine — a Division I school in multiple sports — plans to opt out of the $2.8 billion settlement for now.
The landmark settlement, approved in a June 6 ruling by a federal judge in Oakland, Calif., covers compensation for hundreds of thousands of current and former students for commercial use of their name, image and likeness, frequently shortened to NIL.
“Despite some compromises, the settlement agreement nevertheless will result in extraordinary relief for members of the settlement classes,” U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken wrote in her 76-page opinion. “If approved, it would permit levels and types of student-athlete compensation that have never been permitted in the history of college sports, while also very generously compensating Division I student-athletes who suffered past harms.”
NCAA President Charlie Baker said the settlement “opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports."
“This new framework that enables schools to provide direct financial benefits to student-athletes and establishes clear and specific rules to regulate third-party NIL agreements marks a huge step forward for college sports,” he said in a statement.
UMaine weighs its options
In a statement emailed to Mainebiz, UMaine Athletics called the settlement “a positive step for college athletics in defining a new landscape and in creating a path forward that prioritizes student-athlete support and promotes a level playing field.”
“We support the direction and intent of the settlement and we remain committed to engaging in the national conversation and to enhancing the student-athlete experience at the University of Maine,” the statement continued. “While a final decision is not yet required by the NCAA, based on the information currently available, our intention as of today is to opt out for the 2025-26 year.”
UMaine Athletics said it will evaluate the situation as it evolves, adding that “we remain focused on our vision to be among the top five Division I institutions in Greater New England and we will continue to take a strategic and thoughtful approach towards achieving that goal.”
Mixed playbook
Greg Glynn, founder and CEO of Pliable Marketing in Augusta who represents three athletes at UMaine, told Mainebiz that he expects the settlement to hamper the Orono school's ability to recruit the top athletes in the country.
"Many of those types of players will be looking to schools that are paying their athletes directly with NIL money," Glynn said.
On the other hand, he also sees an opportunity for the school to attract more athletes by creating opportunities for local businesses and brands that UMaine athletes can work with to secure their own NIL partnerships through Icon Source, a NIL marketplace launched by the school in 2024, and the Bear Down Collective.
“Additionally, with the upcoming facility upgrades to several sports venues on campus, the University of Maine does have an upper hand when it comes to recruiting athletes who are looking for the highest quality facilities, but may not be getting recruited by the power conference schools," Glynn said.
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