🏅How much do college athletes really make? A few recent reports offer some clues.

Hey there,

Thanks for spending your day with NIL Wire. I’m going to keep it real with you all on this Monday morning: there is a lot happening in the world of NIL. Every day, a college football coach is saying something about NIL, brands and marketing agencies are dropping new deals, and, as is the case today, there are even more reports about policy — whether that has to do with the NCAA, NIL Go or even high school athletics.

While not every post published here is going to be a round-up of information and social media links, it is important to me that I keep you all informed when news pops up on my radar.

Let’s get into it!

— Deyscha

Shorts shouldn't be a pain in the butt

Meet Jack Archer’s Jetsetter Tech Shorts: the hybrid that combines athletic freedom with sharp, tailored style. Made from premium Japanese Rebound fabric — a high-stretch, moisture-wicking textile — these shorts deliver four essential benefits:

• Flexibility: Moves with you, not against you

• Wrinkle-Resistance: Stays crisp all day — no ironing required

• Odor Control: Keeps you fresh from morning meetings to evening outings

• Stain Resistance: Handles spills so you stay looking sharp

The fit is tailored yet forgiving—room where you need it, slim where you don’t — accented by premium stitching, a zippered coin pocket and discreet reflective tape revealed when cuffed. Available in eight striking colors, they fit any wardrobe and every adventure. Grab yourself a pair and try them risk-free for 30 days. If you don’t love them, get a full refund, no questions asked. Plus, as a NIL Wire reader, enjoy 15% off with code JETSETTER15.

Snag your pair today

THE BIG 3

How much money are college athletes really making?

What exactly is going on with NIL right now? 

That’s been my question over the past week as I get caught up with what’s going on in college sports. The actual dollar amounts that players are making still remain somewhat unclear, but there are NIL valuations. In college football, those valuations vary from position to position according to ESPN, which surveyed more than 20 college general managers and agents and learned, for example, that Power 4 starting quarterbacks tend to make between $1 million and $2 million.

Third-party NIL deals make up one component of those valuations (along with revenue-sharing payments directly from schools). And on Friday, multiple reporters shared some numbers from the College Sports Commission, the organization set up to regulate college sports in the post-House settlement world. Those numbers give some interesting context about third-party deals. According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, here are some of the details:

If more data on NIL Go is released, including deals that are denied or in arbitration, we might be getting more transparency on NIL. To be determined …

(Also, for some additional reading: Over on Extra Points, Matt wrote about MMR firms last week.)

The latest news on high school athletes and NIL

Last week, I mentioned that the NCAA was reportedly considering a new rule that would require high school athletes to report deals they’ve earned during their junior and senior years to NIL Go. This comes at a time when deals with high school athletes are common, but high school NIL rules vary from state to state.

The rule hasn’t been approved yet, according to multiple reports, but if it does go into effect, there could be legal implications, as sports attorney Mit Winter recently noted, due to state NIL laws. Winter even shared a copy of the proposed NCAA bylaw:

According to Front Office Sports, plaintiff lawyers from the House case signed off on the proposed rule, but it likely will be “tested” in the courts. 

Another eligibility lawsuit

Another thing that’s been popping up on my radar in terms of NIL: lawsuits.

Former athletes, like members of the 1983 NC State men’s basketball team and Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, have filed lawsuits over lost NIL opportunities. Both cases were dismissed.

Lawsuits over eligibility have also been common in recent months. (We’ve written about them over on Extra Points a couple times this summer, including here and here.) Last week, a judge in Nashville denied former College of Charleston guard Derrin Boyd’s preliminary injunction for an additional year of eligibility after he claimed that he’d missed out on $350,000 in NIL money from Vanderbilt due to the NCAA’s five-year rule.

The NCAA then released a statement on its five-year rule and said it is “making changes to modernize college sports” and that it “believes partnering with Congress is essential to provide clarity and stability for current and future student-athletes.”

Share NIL Wire

Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy NIL Wire? Share with them today!

You currently have 0 referrals.