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USC NIL Spending — $42M Est. 2026

USC
#14 Nationally
Big Ten
Power 4

USC

Estimated NIL Spend

$42M

2025–26 est.

Top Sport

Football

$30M

NIL Spend Analysis

Estimated 2025-26 Total
$42M
Elite Tier
vs #1 Overall ($74M)56.8%
#14
National
#4
Conference
Top 4%
Nationally
By Sport
TopFootball71%
  • Football$30M71%
  • Men's Basketball$5M12%
  • Women's Basketball$4M10%
  • Baseball$2.1M5%

Player NIL values

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

USC leverages the Los Angeles market like no one else.

Lincoln Riley's football roster grades inside the national top 13, and the Trojans surround it with one of the most valuable individual brands in all of college sports — women's basketball superstar JuJu Watkins, whose NIL valuation rivals any athlete in the country. Backed by the BLVD collective and a deep Olympic-sport tradition that routinely stocks the U.S. national teams, USC funds a broad, top-15 all-sport NIL operation from the heart of the nation's second-largest media market.

TS
The Sideline Staff·NIL Desk
Updated daily

How USC's NIL Figure Is Estimated

The $42M figure above combines two sources permitted under the House v. NCAA settlement: USC'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 $30M.

USC NIL FAQ

How much does USC spend on NIL in 2026?

USC is estimated to spend $42M on NIL in the 2025–26 athletic year, including revenue-sharing allocations and third-party collective deals. This ranks #14 nationally among Division I programs.

What conference does USC play in?

USC competes in the Big Ten at the Power 4 level.

Which USC sport gets the most NIL money?

Football is USC's top NIL-funded sport with approximately $30M in estimated 2026 spending.

How does USC compare to other Big Ten schools?

USC's $42M NIL budget can be compared against every Big Ten program and all 357 Division I schools on The Sideline's NIL Tracker.

Where does USC's NIL money come from?

USC'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#14
ConferenceBig Ten
DivisionPower 4
Est. Total Spend$42M
Primary SportFootball

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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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