Revenue sharing opens new world
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NCAA student-athletes, once referred to as amateurs, are set to receive even more money in coming years thanks to revenue sharing.
Starting in the 2025-26 school year, collegiate student-athletes can earn money directly from their university through revenue sharing. That will result in student-athletes making money from both revenue sharing and NiL.
NiL – which stands for name, image and likeness – has been a hot topic since it went into effect. It allows student-athletes to earn anywhere from millions of dollars to sports cars to meals at a local restaurant.
Athletic powerhouse schools will benefit the most from revenue sharing, as they are automatically included and will start benefiting immediately. Schools not in the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences have the option to opt-in or opt-out from revenue sharing during its 10-year term.
Revenue sharing came to be as a result of the landmark settlement resolving antitrust claims against the NCAA and five biggest conferences that challenged rules restricting student-athlete compensation. That led to universities directly paying student-athletes starting in the 2025-26 season.
As part of the agreement, schools outside the five biggest conferences having to opt-in to revenue sharing in order to being able to directly pay their student-athletes.
NiL rules have changed as well as a result of the settlement. Any NiL deal a student gets that results in compensation of more than $600 from a third-party source must be reported to the NCAA.
More than ever, student-athletes will be paid more. However, it’s a double-edged sword for the student-athlete.
For example, if a student-athlete is receiving millions of dollars from sponsors in NiL deals, as well as free things like cars, they have no reason other than a true love of the game to go the professional route.
A real-life example would be University of Miami and former University of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. Heading into the 2024-25 college football season, he was predicted to go high in the first round of the NFL Draft. As his season went on, his draft stock fell dramatically as a result of throwing an interception in what felt like every game and a late-season injury.
At the same time his draft stock was falling, the amount of money he was making was increasing as the face of the Bulldogs.
Ultimately, he opted out of the draft and transferred down to South Beach to continue his college career, where he will continue to earn more money. He will not likely be a first-round pick if he decides to go to the NFL, but he will keep making money throwing the pigskin for another year.
Beck’s college career trajectory will more than likely become the norm as student-athletes have access to more funds. While this can be seen as a negative, there is also a positive side to it because college athletes who are paraded around and play on national television every week deserve compensation for what they do.
College football and basketball are the most commonly televised sports, and they deserve a cut for being treated almost as professional athletes. If you can gamble on a sport, athletes in that sport deserve to be paid.
Scholarships alone cannot support the stress and hectic schedule of Division I student-athletes. Like professional athletes who are on television on a weekly basis and have an extremely busy schedule, there deserves to be compensation for what they do.
At the same time, is there a drive or desire for a college athlete to go pro if they are making the same, if not more, money in college?
Some have a true love of the game, and the end goal is to make it to the highest level, Meanwhile, others are blinded by the dollar signs flashed in front of them.
There is not a fix for this, but taking away revenue sharing and NiL money from hard-working student-athletes is not the answer.
Like all things, there are good and bad sides to it. With about a half-million student-athletes, of course there will be some who take the money and run. And, of course, there will be some who see it as an added bonus on the way to achieving their lifelong goals.
Cannon Crompton is sports editor of the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 828-837-512 or email sports@cherokeescout.com.