A potential multibillion-dollar settlement of an antitrust lawsuit cleared the second of a three-step NCAA approval process Tuesday, and the presidential boards of two of the five conferences named in the complaint voted to approve the deal.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted to move forward on a proposed $2.77 billion settlement of House vs. NCAA, according to two people who had been briefed on the vote. They said the vote was not unanimous, but it was unclear exactly how the 24 member-board voted.

The people spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the NCAA was not revealing its internal discussions related to the settlement. The NCAA Board of Governors still must sign off on the deal for final approval. It is scheduled to meet later this week.

The D-I board’s finance committee recommended on Monday to stick with the original finance plan for the settlement, which has drawn the ire of non-power conference leaders who believe their leagues will bear a disproportionate financial burden.

The NCAA, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference are defendants in the House case, a class-action lawsuit that seeks back pay for college athletes who were denied name, image and likeness compensation dating to 2016. The NCAA lifted its ban on athletes earning money for sponsorship and endorsement deals in 2021.

The Big 12 on Tuesday became the first conference to approve the settlement, with its board of university presidents and chancellors voting unanimously in favor, another person with direct knowledge of the decision told the AP.

Later Tuesday, the ACC presidents also voted to approve the settlement, according to a person with knowledge of their vote who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 presidents were scheduled to vote on whether to approve the settlement deal later this week.

Moving forward, it will be the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC making the largest investment as the settlement includes a proposed revenue-sharing system that asks their schools to commit upward of $20 million per year to be paid directly to athletes. The overall commitment is expected to be about $300 million per school over 10 years.

The NCAA office is set to cover nearly $2.8 billion in damages over 10 years. A reduction of operating expenses, insurance and reserve funds is expected to cover about $1.2 billion. The rest would come from withheld distributions to 352 Division I member schools. The NCAA distributes more than $700 million per year to its 1,100 member schools in three divisions, the vast majority to Division I.

The approved finance plan for the settlement calls for the NCAA to cover 41% of the $2.77 billion in damages, with the Power Five conferences accounting for 24% and the other five major college football conferences — the so-called Group of Five — covering 10%.

The conferences that compete in the second tier of Division I football, the Championship Subdivision, would cover 14% of the overall settlement and the non-football D-I conferences would be on the hook for 12%.

The conference commissioners from leagues that do not compete at the highest tier of Division I football, the Bowl Subdivision, have taken issue with the $1.6 billion in withheld distributions portion of the settlement.

The 27 conferences not named in the lawsuit are expected to cover 60% of withheld distributions, with the other 40% coming from power conferences that currently comprise 69 schools.

The commissioners of the 22 non-FBS conferences sent a memo to NCAA leadership, proposing the finance structure be flipped so power conference withheld distributions cover 60% of the $1.6 billion.

NASCAR fines Stenhouse for fighting

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75,000 by NASCAR for fighting with Kyle Busch after the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Stenhouse’s father, who joined the fracas, was suspended indefinitely.

The $75,000 fine was the largest ever handed down by NASCAR for fighting.

Busch was not penalized for his actions in the Sunday night race.

The two tangled on the first lap and then Busch seemed to deliberately wreck Stenhouse on the second lap. Stenhouse parked his damaged Chevrolet in Busch’s pit stall and aggressively climbed the spotter’s ladder and exchanged words with members of Busch’s crew.

Stenhouse then stormed to his hauler, leaving his car to be towed to the pits.

He also foreshadowed that he’d be back after the race to confront Busch. The two did exchange brief words before Stenhouse landed a right hook on Busch and a melee broke out involving members of both teams. Stenhouse’s father, who has no affiliation with the team, then went after Busch, throwing punches.

NASCAR also suspended Stenhouse mechanic Clint Myrick for eight races and engine tuner Keith Matthews for four races.

Stenhouse in the fight vowed to wreck Busch this Sunday during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch’s car owner isn’t taking that threat from Stenhouse lightly. Richard Childress vowed to fight Stenhouse himself if he goes near Busch’s car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Man charged with murder in Battie killing

A Sarasota, Fla., man was charged with murder in a shooting that killed the brother of Auburn running back Brian Battie and injured Battie and three other men.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested Darryl Bernard Brookins as a suspect in the weekend shooting. Tommy Battie IV was pronounced dead at the scene early Saturday.

Brookins has been charged with murder and attempted murder as a felon in possession of a firearm.

There has been no official update on Brian Battie’s status. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze posted on social media Monday that Battie was “still on a ventilator” after a setback the previous day.

Battie spent three seasons at South Florida before transferring to Auburn. He ran for 227 yards and a touchdown last season while ranking fourth in the Southeastern Conference in kick return average (23 yards).

The 5-foot-7, 168-pounder ran for 1,186 yards in 2022 and finished his South Florida career with 1,842 yards and 10 touchdowns.

• Renowned Sherpa mountain guide Kami Rita scaled Mount Everest for a record 30th time, completing his second climb this month to the top of the world. Rita reached the 29,032-foot summit at 7:49 a.m., according to a government official at the base camp.