Estimated NIL Spend
$2.5M
2025–26 est.
Top Sport
Football
$1.5M
Northern Iowa is a Missouri Valley program with FCS football.
Football in the MVC receives moderate investment. Men's basketball receives the primary NIL investment. The Cedar Falls/Waterloo market gives UNI athletes decent commercial NIL access.
MVC FCS level NIL; consistent national contender
MVC CBB level NIL
Baseball, track, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, cross country
Hover any row for total spend & share of program budget.
Northern Iowa ranks #209 nationally in estimated NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) spending for the 2025–26 athletic year, with a combined budget of $2.5M across all sports. As a Basketball program in the Missouri Valley, Northern Iowacompetes with the nation's top revenue-sharing and collective-funded programs to attract and retain top recruits, transfer-portal talent, and returning starters.
The Sideline's NIL Tracker compiles Northern Iowa's reported NIL figures from publicly disclosed contracts, collective funding announcements, athletic department reporting, and cross-referenced industry sources. Numbers reflect estimates of Northern Iowa's 2026 NIL budget allocations including football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, and Olympic sports where applicable. Football represents the largest single-sport allocation at $1.5M.
NIL spending at Northern Iowa continues to evolve following the House v. NCAA settlement, which permits direct revenue sharing with student-athletes starting in the 2025–26 academic year. Northern Iowa's figures include both the school's revenue-share allocation and third-party collective deals from boosters and alumni networks. For broader context, view our complete NIL Tracker rankings or compare Northern Iowa directly to other programs on the NIL Compare tool.
Northern Iowa is estimated to spend $2.5M on NIL in the 2025–26 athletic year, including revenue-sharing allocations and third-party collective deals. This ranks #209 nationally among Division I programs.
Northern Iowa competes in the Missouri Valley at the Basketball level.
Football is Northern Iowa's top NIL-funded sport with approximately $1.5M in estimated 2026 spending.
Northern Iowa's $2.5M NIL budget can be compared against every Missouri Valley program and all 357 Division I schools on The Sideline's NIL Tracker.
Northern Iowa's NIL budget combines two sources: the school's direct revenue-share allocation (capped at roughly $20.5M industry-wide following the House settlement) and third-party collective deals funded by boosters, alumni, and corporate sponsors.
Create a free account to share intel, analysis, and insights on this program's NIL situation.
Free Weekly Newsletter
Every Sunday — top stories, transfer portal moves, NIL headlines, and the week's biggest plays. No spam, just sports.
Delivered every Sunday. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kirby Smart has beaten Nick Saban's Alabama in three of their meetings since Smart was hired at Georgia. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 7 years. The student has beaten the teacher three times.