NIL guide
How to plan a revenue sharing budget under the cap
To plan revenue sharing, start from the year's cap (about $21.58 million per school in 2026-27), subtract what you have already committed, decide how to split the rest across sports and athletes, and put every payment in a signed agreement entered in CAPS within five business days. Remember that scholarships beyond 2024-25 limits, Alston awards and third-party NIL do not count against the cap, while direct NIL licenses do.
Key facts
- Cap: $20.5 million (2025-26); about $21.58 million (2026-27); another 4% increase expected for 2027-28.
- Counts: school payments for NIL (including through a designee or contractor) and other direct payments not already permitted by NCAA rules.
- Does not count: Alston awards, scholarships beyond 2024-25 team limits (with a 2026-27 fine for scholarship-driven overages), third-party NIL, Student Assistance Fund money and third-party benefits.
- An overage comes off the next year's cap, on top of any penalty.
- Every payment needs a signed written agreement entered in CAPS within five business days.
- Executive Order 14400 calls for revenue sharing that preserves or expands women's and Olympic sports.
On this page
Steps
- 1. Confirm your cap for the academic year (July 1 to June 30) and any carryover penalty from last year's overage.
- 2. List existing commitments, including multi-year agreements and any offsets tied to third-party deals.
- 3. Decide the split by sport, then by roster, within each sport's roster limit.
- 4. Model scenarios, including how allocations land across men's and women's sports, with the free cap calculator.
- 5. Use signed written agreements for every payment, never extend them past an athlete's eligibility, and enter them in CAPS within five business days.
- 6. Certify rosters in CAPS by the day before the first contest or December 1, whichever is earlier.
- 7. Track spending against the cap through the year, and complete the annual attestation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the revenue sharing cap for 2026-27?
About $21.58 million per school.
Do scholarships count against the cap?
Scholarships generally do not; athletics aid beyond 2024-25 team limits is excluded, though 2026-27 brings a fine when new scholarships push a school over.
Next steps
Sources
- Revenue Sharing — College Sports Commission
- Rules and Policies — College Sports Commission
- Roster Limits — College Sports Commission
- Executive Order 14400 — U.S. Government Publishing Office
This is general information, not legal advice. NIL rules differ by state, school, association and sport, and they change often. Check the official sources linked on this page and talk with your school's compliance office, your state association or a licensed attorney before you sign anything.