A prominent advocacy group for college athletes announced Thursday it opposes the $2.8 billion settlement agreement of antitrust litigation facing the NCAA and major college conferences, saying a plan for schools to share athletics revenue will actually limit the earning potential of the athletes.

The National College Players Association said the so-called House settlement aims to eliminate booster-funded collectives that are currently responsible for millions of dollars in payments to college athletes for the right to use their names, images and likenesses.

A court hearing is scheduled for next Thursday, where a federal judge in California could rule on the plaintiffs’ request for preliminary approval of the deal, which includes $2.78 billion in damages to former and current college athletes. Even if granted preliminary approval, challenges to the settlement can still be brought before final approval in the months ahead.

The NCPA said it opposes the deal because it gives conferences the ability to end proposed revenue-sharing if athletes are deemed to be employees with the right to collectively bargain with schools or leagues. That topic is the subject of several fights likely to end up in court, including a unionization effort by the Dartmouth men’s basketball team.

The NCPA says the settlement also doesn’t do enough to ensure schools won’t cut revenue sports and could result in a decrease in athletic scholarships.

College football: Wisconsin hired longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio to its staff, where he will serve as senior adviser to Badgers head coach Luke Fickell. Del Rio, the former Jaguars and Raiders head coach, most recently served as Commanders defensive coordinator until he was fired in November. A former linebacker at Southern California and with four NFL teams, Del Rio, 61, has spent his entire coaching career at the pro level.

NFL: The Patriots named veteran QB Jacoby Brissett their starter for their season opener against the Bengals. The 31-year-old Brissett gets the nod over rookie first-round draft pick Drake Maye. ... The Browns restructured QB Deshaun Watson’s contract for the third time, converting $44.79 million of his $46 million base salary this season into a signing bonus. The move frees up almost $36 million in cap space for the team. ... After initially planning to sign with the Jets and join their practice squad on Wednesday, S Lewis Cine, 24, instead Thursday signed with the Bills on their practice squad. The No. 32 pick in the 2022 NFL draft was waived by the Vikings earlier this week after efforts to trade him were unsuccessful. ... Eagles former All-Pro DB James Bradberry IV was placed on IR and could be out six to eight weeks after suffering a leg injury during Wednesday’s practice.

WNBA: Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a season during the Fever’s 84-80 victory over the visiting Sun on Wednesday night. The No. 1 overall pick in the draft has 88 3-pointers in 31 games. The Dream’s Rhyne Howard, the No. 1 overall pick and rookie of the year in 2022, previously held the record of 85 (34 games). Clark previously set the rookie season assist record.