In the first year of direct revenue sharing, U.S. colleges paid athletes about $1.77 billion, says the College Sports Commission. The payments came after the House v. NCAA settlement. It let schools share up to about $20.5 million per year with athletes starting in 2025-26. Most of the money went to football and men’s basketball. The cap rises to $21.58 million for 2026-27.
The first year answered some questions and raised others. Title IX appeals are still pending. The new watchdog has turned down hundreds of deals. And Congress is closer than ever to writing national rules. Here is what the numbers show and what to watch next.
How the House Settlement Changed College Sports
Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval to the House v. NCAA settlement on June 6, 2025. It included $2.8 billion in back damages over 10 years for athletes who played from 2016 to 2024. It also let schools pay current athletes directly for the first time. The cap was about $20.5 million per school in 2025-26.
The cap rises about 4% each year. It is projected to reach $32.9 million by the end of the 10-year term. Schools also traded scholarship limits for roster limits. Football rosters, for example, are capped at 105. Schools may now offer as many scholarships as they want within those limits.
Year One by the Numbers
On October 1, 2026, the College Sports Commission released its first full-year data. Schools paid about $1.77 billion directly to 34,915 athletes. Those athletes were at 307 of the 319 schools that opted in, across 45 sports. With academic awards and new scholarships added, total athlete pay through the settlement came to about $1.98 billion.
The money was not spread evenly. Before payments began, many athletic departments planned to send about 75% of their pools to football. They planned 5% or less for sports outside football and basketball. Early reports on the year-one data show that football and basketball did get most of the money. Texas Tech, for example, planned to put about 74% of its pool into football.
The New Gatekeeper for NIL Deals
The settlement created the College Sports Commission to enforce the new rules. Its CEO is Bryan Seeley, a former Major League Baseball executive. It began work July 1, 2025. It reviews outside name, image and likeness (NIL) deals worth $600 or more through a clearinghouse called NIL Go.
The commission checks whether each deal has a real business purpose and pays close to fair market value. In its first six months, it cleared 17,321 deals worth $127.21 million and rejected 524 deals worth about $14.94 million. By October 2026, it had approved more than 46,000 deals worth over $582 million.
The commission’s power has been tested. In May 2026, an arbitrator upheld its rejection of deals between Nebraska football players and the school’s media rights partner. The arbitrator found no real business purpose. Several states, including Texas, Tennessee and West Virginia, have raised concerns. They say the commission’s member agreement clashes with their state laws.
The Title IX Question
The biggest open issue is fairness between men and women. Eight female athletes appealed the settlement in June 2025. They argued that the back-pay formula favors male athletes. Judge Wilken overruled related objections in November 2025. But she noted that separate Title IX lawsuits are not barred by the settlement. The appeals are still before the Ninth Circuit. Back-pay payouts are on hold until they are settled.
Revenue sharing went on during the appeal. That means schools are making large, uneven payments while it is still unclear whether Title IX applies to them. Business Insiders explored that tension in its look at how one platform is approaching fairness in college athlete compensation.
Congress Moves Closer to National Rules
For years, college sports has run under a patchwork of state NIL laws. About 35 states have active NIL policies as of 2026, while Florida repealed its NIL limits. Federal bills have stalled again and again. The House pulled the SCORE Act from its floor schedule a second time in May 2026.
The Senate has now acted. On September 28, 2026, it passed the Protect College Sports Act by a vote of 77 to 22. The bill would:
- Keep the settlement cap, starting at $21.58 million and rising about 4% a year.
- Allow a player retention fund of up to $22.5 million a year above the cap, plus $5 million for sports that do not make money.
- Override state laws on NIL, transfers and who is eligible to play.
- Set a five-year window to play, with one free transfer.
- Require NIL deals over $600 to be disclosed and cap agent fees at 5%.
Legal reviews of the amended bill say it does not override Title IX. It also takes no side on whether athletes are employees. The House is not expected to act until after the November elections. Conference leaders have warned they may write their own rules if Congress does not act.
The Employment Question Is Still Open
A separate federal case, Johnson v. NCAA, asks whether some college athletes should be treated as employees. The Third Circuit set a legal test for that question in 2024, and the case is back in district court. In February 2026, the NCAA and its member schools said they had no interest in settling. A ruling for the athletes could reshape the revenue-sharing model entirely.
What This Means for Athletes and Families
- Read every NIL contract with care. Deals over $600 must clear NIL Go. Deals that get turned down can leave athletes without money they planned on.
- Know where the money goes. Revenue-sharing pools favor football and basketball at most schools.
- Treat NIL as a business. Taxes, agent fees and contract terms all affect what an athlete really keeps. Athletes building their own media brands face many of the same questions as young sports broadcasters running one-person media businesses.
- Watch Congress and the courts. The Senate bill, the Title IX appeals and the employment case could all change the rules within the next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can colleges pay athletes directly?
Schools that opted into the House settlement could share up to about $20.5 million with athletes in 2025-26. The cap rose to $21.58 million for 2026-27.
What is NIL Go?
NIL Go is the College Sports Commission’s clearinghouse. It reviews outside NIL deals worth $600 or more. It checks for a real business purpose and fair pay.
Are college athletes employees now?
Not under current law. The Johnson v. NCAA case is testing that question, and the Senate’s bill takes no side on it.
The Bottom Line
Year one of revenue sharing moved nearly $2 billion to college athletes. It also built a real system to police NIL deals. But it packed the money into a few sports and left big legal questions open. Congress, the courts and conferences are all pushing in different ways. So the business of college sports will keep changing fast. Follow our ongoing coverage in the finance section.
