Radford athletics: university opts into settlement, expects roster changes; new men's coach introduced

Radford University informed the Board of Visitors that it will opt into the House v. NCAA settlement and described expected operational impacts for intercollegiate athletics.

President Danilovich said opting into the settlement will allow the athletics program to share revenues directly with student-athletes beginning in the 2025–26 academic year but will require compliance with NCAA-mandated roster-size limits, which the administration projected would result in "a total decrease of about 27 roster spots" from current totals. He said the university plans to offset reductions by adding roster spots on select teams, including men's and women's cross country, women's track and field and women's lacrosse. The president noted the settlement's final hearing was scheduled for April 7.

In committee updates, athletics leaders reported that the men's tennis program canceled its 2025 spring competition due to only three active players at the time of the meeting and ongoing injuries. The board also heard announcements about coaching changes: Darius Nichols has accepted a new role at LaSalle and was thanked for four seasons of service; the university introduced Zach Chu as the new men's basketball coach.

Why it matters: The settlement and resulting roster adjustments affect scholarship allocations, roster management and program operations. Athletics staff said fundraising and external revenue work is ongoing—the department reported about $401,250 in sponsorship revenue and $1.1 million raised through external giving in fiscal 2025.

The board received the athletics update as part of the student affairs and athletics committee report; no separate board-level vote on athletics strategy was recorded in the public session.