Morgan State athletic director Dena Freeman-Patton faced a tough choice this year as she considered a new framework that allows colleges and universities to pay athletes directly.While opting in to the House settlement allows schools to remain competitive and attract top athletes, it can also create new financial pressure. Meanwhile, there are concerns that new limitations on roster sizes could shut women out from opportunities to compete, especially in non-revenue-producing sports like track and field.This is a familiar conundrum for leaders across the U.S. in the wake of the $2.8 billion antitrust settlement, which dismantled an amateur model that defined college sports for more than a century. But the challenges are especially acute for historically Black colleges and universities like Morgan State and other underfunded schools that remain committed to women’s sports even as they navigate fierce budget pressures.“When you make that decision then your question is, ‘OK, where’s the money coming from?’” Freeman-Patton said. “One of the things we were adamant (about) is that we’re not going to cut from what we are already offering to our student athletes.”“Especially,” she added, “our women’s programs.”Morgan State is one of more than 300 schools that ultimately agreed to the settlement, which took effect in July. The school committed to equal revenue-sharing pools for men’s and women’s programs. But the revenue tied to athletics at Morgan …
