Lots to discuss at the SEC spring meetings

The SEC’s annual spring meetings begin Tuesday morning at the SanDestin Beach Hilton in Miramar Beach, Florida.

It will not be a surprise what the main topic of the conversation will be.

Last week’s $2.8 billion settlement in the NCAA antitrust case against the House of Representatives and its five co-defendants (SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, ACC and the soon-to-be disbanded Pac-10) will be a topic of conversation.

“I suspect this topic will dominate the meeting,” said UGA President Jere Morehead.

Last year, the SEC schedule was the focus of a three-day meeting of university presidents, athletic directors, football and basketball coaches. However, this will no longer be the case.

With the new SEC football schedule set for 2025, no decisions for 2026 or beyond are expected based on this week’s games.

Instead, most of the meetings will be devoted to exactly how the schools intend to repay the settlement. Under the agreement, FBS programs like Georgia will cover 60 percent of the total.

Compensation is paid to former student-athletes who were not permitted to benefit because of their name, image and likeness.

Another part of the terms of the settlement is that from then on, the schools will share the proceeds with their student-athletes.

According to USAToday, that amount is expected to be around $20 million per year.

Last week’s statement from the NCAA and the five Power Five conferences read as follows:

“The five autonomy conferences and the NCAA agreeing to settlement terms are an important step in the ongoing reform of college sports that will provide benefits to student-athletes and ensure transparency in college athletics across all sports for years to come,” read a joint statement from all power conferences and NCAA. “This agreement also provides a roadmap for college athletic leaders and Congress to ensure that this unique American institution continues to provide unparalleled opportunities for millions of students. We have enabled the entire Division I to make today’s progress and we all have work to do to implement the agreed terms of the contract as the legal process continues. We look forward to working with our diverse student-athlete leadership groups to write the next chapter in college sports.

Questions remain, including how the funds will be distributed to student-athletes.

Under the terms of the settlement, roster limits are in play instead of scholarship limits, and according to YAHOO Sports, it’s unclear what role Title IX will continue to play. What about NIL itself?

That’s the quagmire that SEC officials, school administrators and school administrators will be trying to sift through this week.

This week’s meeting will also be the first time new members from Texas and Oklahoma will participate in the event.

NOTE: Head football coach Kirby Smart and his colleagues are expected to address the media on Tuesday.