Long list of Australian NCAA college basketballers to be compensated following historic decision

A long list of Aussies who played NCAA US College basketball, dating back to 2016, are set receive back pay following a historic legal settlement.

Aussie basketballers set for NCAA compensation. Picture: Supplied

A long list of Australians who played NCAA US College basketball are set to be paid following a historic legal settlement.

The NCAA has been ordered to pay nearly $2.8 billion back in damages over the next decade to athletes who competed in college since 2016.

The multibillion-dollar legal settlement was approved over the weekend, ending three separate federal antitrust lawsuits, all of which claimed the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning power of college athletes.

It means countless Australians who played in the US College system dating back to 2016 are now in line for a payday.

The Aussies includes current NBA stars in Charlotte’s Josh Green and Indiana Pacers rising guard Johnny Furphy, while countless NBL players also feature.

Josh Green is one of the Aussies who could be set for compensation. Picture: Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Indiana Pacers’ Johnny Furphy is another. Picture: Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Adelaide 36ers sharpshooter and two-time NBL champion Dejan Vasiljevic is one of the players eligible for pay as part of the historic settlement.

Vasiljevic took to social media to celebrate the news, saying: Yep!!!, on his personal Instagram story, accompanied with a link to the news article.

In a major shake-up of the long push to remove amateurism rules from major college sports, each school can now pay its athletes up to a certain limit.

According to reports in the US, the annual cap is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school in 2025-26 and increase every year during the decade-long deal.

These new payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive.

The significant earning potential in the NCAA via the NIL (Name, Image or Likeness) program has sparked global interest from players to take the college route.

Emerging Perth Wildcats guard Ben Henshall – who is in the mix for June’s NBA draft – has been linked to joining reigning NCAA champions the Florida Gators.

Ben Henshall in action for the Wildcats. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

On top of taking home big dollars in US College, Henshall would link with former Western Australian Under 20s teammate Alex Condon at the Gators.

The earning capacity in the NCAA is looming as a major shift for world basketball, with rising players attracted to the big dollars on offer.

Originally published as Long list of Australian NCAA college basketballers to be compensated following historic decision