Division I Schools Launch $20.5M Athlete Revenue Sharing

Beginning July 1, 2025, Division I schools can share up to $20.5 million in revenue annually with student-athletes under a $2.8 billion settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust case, marking a fundamental shift in college sports. The new structure permits schools to pay athletes directly for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), reducing the need for third-party collectives and attempting to curb unregulated pay-for-play arrangements. Schools such as LSU plan to allocate most of the revenue-sharing cap to football, with smaller shares to basketball and other sports, leading to anticipated budget deficits and a greater reliance on corporate sponsorships. Oversight will be provided by the NCAA and a newly created College Sports Commission, though legal scrutiny and audits may prompt future adjustments to the cap. Optimists believe the revenue-sharing model could foster greater parity, but critics expect wealthy schools to retain competitive advantages. The policy represents a major move toward the professionalization of college athletics, but questions about fairness, enforcement, and long-term financial viability persist.