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Rice NIL Spending — $8.5M Est. 2026

Rice
#110 Nationally
American
G5

Rice

Estimated NIL Spend

$8.5M

2025–26 est.

Top Sport

Football

$5.5M

NIL Spend Analysis

Estimated 2025-26 Total
$8.5M
Mid-Major Power
vs #1 Overall ($74M)11.5%
#110
National
#7
Conference
Top 31%
Nationally
By Sport
TopFootball65%
  • Football$5.5M65%
  • Men's Basketball$2M24%
  • Other Sports$1M12%

Player NIL values

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Estimates use school pool, roster role, position, class, jersey, and recruiting stars.
NIL ProfileAmerican · 2026
The Sideline

Rice's NIL program is unique: the private research university's Houston location creates exceptional commercial NIL opportunities.

Football under Mike Bloomgren is estimated at $3-4M for 2025-26.

TS
The Sideline Staff·NIL Desk
Updated daily

How Rice's NIL Figure Is Estimated

The $8.5M figure above combines two sources permitted under the House v. NCAA settlement: Rice's direct revenue-share allocation and third-party collective deals funded by boosters, alumni, and corporate sponsors. We compile it from publicly disclosed contracts, collective funding announcements, athletic department reporting, and cross-referenced industry valuations, with Football the largest single-sport allocation at $5.5M.

Rice NIL FAQ

How much does Rice spend on NIL in 2026?

Rice is estimated to spend $8.5M on NIL in the 2025–26 athletic year, including revenue-sharing allocations and third-party collective deals. This ranks #110 nationally among Division I programs.

What conference does Rice play in?

Rice competes in the American at the G5 level.

Which Rice sport gets the most NIL money?

Football is Rice's top NIL-funded sport with approximately $5.5M in estimated 2026 spending.

How does Rice compare to other American schools?

Rice's $8.5M NIL budget can be compared against every American program and all 357 Division I schools on The Sideline's NIL Tracker.

Where does Rice's NIL money come from?

Rice'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.

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Quick Stats

National Rank#110
ConferenceAmerican
DivisionG5
Est. Total Spend$8.5M
Primary SportFootball

Nearby Rankings

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Did You Know?

Alabama won the 2017 national title on a second-and-26 touchdown pass in overtime.

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