Nicholls State University has had an about-face.
After initially saying they would opt-out of the NCAA’s House Settlement, the Colonels have now announced that they are opting in.
Nicholls Athletic Director Jonathan Terrell released a statement today saying that the Colonels opted into the settlement before the June 30 deadline, a surprising move to many who follow the Colonels.
Terrell had said publicly on Play by Play Radio that Nicholls would opt out in part because of concerns about the mandated roster limits that would be set on each program as part of the settlement. But the Athletic Director said that while more information about the settlement was learned, the university learned that there would be a grandfathering provision, which changed Nicholls’ stance and caused them to in – in an effort to protect their student-athletes throughout the university.
Terrell said the decision was made with a lot of thought.
In that radio interview, Terrell said the settlement was complex and somewhat frustrating even because athletic directors around the country sometimes don’t even know exactly what legislation means for each university and that the situation continues to rapidly evolve.
The Colonels join several other universities in the Southland Conference who have opted in, including McNeese and Northwestern State.
