Imagine trying to build a college football squad in 2025, and you don’t even know how many players you’re allowed to have on the team. That’s the chaos Mike Elko’s living through right now at Texas A&M. Like, you got 105 players grinding every day in spring camp, and the NCAA is out here playing peek-a-boo with the roster rules. No cap, Elko’s face probably says it all: confused, pissed, and real tired of the red tape.

Now, here’s the tea—Elko didn’t hold back when he stepped up to the mic on April 9. Fresh off Texas A&M’s ninth spring practice, the man spoke up about the whole NCAA House Settlement drama, and it was nothing short of a mic drop. “It is relatively crazy, considering we are knee-deep into preparation for the season, and we do not even know what the rules are for the roster for the season we are about to play. The people behind the scenes are doing what they can do to get those answers as quick and as fast as they can.” Elko said, talking about prepping for the season without even knowing what the roster rules are. And he’s not wrong. Imagine crafting your offense, scouting talent, running drills—then boom, some courtroom decision cuts ten guys from your squad overnight.

The real kicker? This House v. NCAA settlement is supposed to be historic. We’re talking about $2.8 BILLION in damages, NIL deals on steroids, and schools paying athletes a slice of the pie. Sounds lit, right? Except Judge Claudia Wilken just hit pause like a DJ scratching the record mid-set. She told the courtroom this week she thinks it’s a good deal, but nah—she ain’t ready to sign off just yet. And Elko? He’s stuck making backup plans for his backup plans, tryna prep for a season he ain’t got the rulebook for.

“I’ve had times where like, you know, between a staff meeting at 7 AM in the morning where I thought something, and then by noon I had a phone call, it was something completely—yeah, it’s just—it’s moving and shifting so quick, it’s just hard to pin down exactly.” That’s wild. One minute you’re greenlighting roster additions, the next minute you’re planning who gets the axe. And while Elko’s hoping cuts won’t come ‘til after fall camp, that’s only if the judge actually gives the thumbs-up. So right now, it’s all vibes and no verdict.

This isn’t just a Texas A&M problem either. Every Power 5 school is low-key sweating. If the judge makes these roster limits official, football—a.k.a. the cash cow—eats first, and other sports? They’re gonna be scrapping for leftovers. Elko knows football’s going to dominate the NIL splits, but even he’s like – Where’s the structure? You can’t drop NFL-style expectations on coaches and not give ‘em clarity on who they can even field.

Still, Elko’s keeping it buck. “I think, you know… You’re making sure that you have plans and options to move in whatever direction you’re gonna need to move. But I think… You can also make yourself dizzy thinking about it. Because, you know, you can—you know, think it’s gonna go this way and then all of a sudden it shifts,” he said, dead serious. But let’s be real: he’s already on that merry-go-round. With Judge Wilken pumping the brakes and 73 athletes already objecting to the deal, Elko’s just one of many voices yelling into the void. The House Settlement’s supposed to drop July 1st, but at this rate, even that’s looking shaky.

House settlement hits pause: Revenue split still up in the air after court huddle

Let’s talk facts—Monday’s courtroom scene in Oakland felt like an episode of Better Call Saul. Drama, suspense, lawyers doing mental gymnastics. But the plot twist? Judge Wilken hits the crowd with, “I think it’s a good settlement,” then immediately says, ‘Don’t quote me.’ That’s like telling someone “no offense” then going full roast mode.

Judge Wilken didn’t kill the deal, but she didn’t bless it either. At the center of her issue are roster limits and who exactly gets a voice in the decision. Right now, 73 athletes already told her this settlement ain’t it. And why? Because they’re the ones about to lose their roster spots. One high school athlete, Gracelyn Laudermilch, literally pulled up and said her scholarship got clipped because of these limits. That’s cold.

See, this agreement says schools can give every athlete a full ride—which is good—but then caps how many athletes can even be on a team. Football, the moneymaker, gets 105. That’s it. So now, coaches gotta play Tetris with their rosters. Athletes who were walk-ons, late bloomers, or just grinding for a shot? They’re the ones gettin’ cut first. And future players? They don’t even have a seat at the negotiating table. That’s the beef.

The NCAA is trying to sell this as a win: $2.6 billion in backpay, 22% of athletic revenue split among players, and NIL money for days. Now lawyers from both sides gotta go back and rework the blueprint. Best-case scenario? They compromise and ease into the roster limits gradually. Worst case? The settlement gets tossed like a busted bracket. And here’s the kicker—the whole NIL split sounds juicy, but schools don’t even have to opt in. They can pick how much to give or when to start. So, while big dogs like Alabama and Ohio State might ball out, what about the smaller programs? They could hoard the cash and play stingy. That ain’t exactly leveling the playing field. And you best believe players are watching.

Still, insiders think this deal will get approved soon, maybe with a few tweaks. Attorney Richard Ehrlich even said, “There will be some minor changes… likely some sort of phasing out of the roster limits.” Translation: They’ll probably try to make it hurt less, but someone’s still getting benched. So yeah, Mike Elko’s frustration? Justified. He’s out here building a squad in a house of cards while the NCAA and federal court play poker with players’ futures. Just another day in the wild world of college football.