Question 1

Which school spends the most on NIL in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Texas leads all schools with an estimated $74 million in NIL spending in 2026, followed by LSU ($66M), Ohio State ($64M), and Oregon ($60M). All four pair the $20.5M annual revenue-sharing cap introduced by the House v. NCAA settlement with large third-party collective budgets.

Question 2

How much does the SEC spend on NIL?

Accepted Answer

SEC schools dominate NIL spending in 2026. The conference's 16 programs collectively spend an estimated $695+ million per year on NIL, with Texas ($74M), LSU ($66M), Texas A&M ($57M), Tennessee ($50M), Alabama ($49M), Georgia ($48M), and Kentucky ($43M) leading the conference.

Question 3

How much does the Big Ten spend on NIL?

Accepted Answer

Big Ten schools collectively spend an estimated $575+ million on NIL in 2026. Ohio State ($64M), Oregon ($60M), Michigan ($44M), USC ($42M), Indiana, Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan State, UCLA, and Iowa are the conference's top NIL spenders.

Question 4

Can service academy athletes (Army, Navy, Air Force) earn NIL?

Accepted Answer

No. Army, Navy, and Air Force are prohibited from NIL activity by federal law and Department of Defense policy. Cadets and midshipmen at service academies cannot enter into commercial NIL agreements of any kind, and these schools do not participate in revenue sharing.

Question 5

Do Ivy League schools have NIL?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ivy League athletes can participate in third-party NIL deals, though these schools do not offer revenue-sharing because they do not offer athletic scholarships. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, and Columbia athletes benefit from exceptional alumni networks in finance, law, and tech that generate some of the highest personal brand NIL values of any non-scholarship programs.

Question 6

What is the NIL revenue-sharing cap for 2026?

Accepted Answer

Under the House v. NCAA settlement, Division I schools can share up to $20.5 million per year directly with their athletes starting in the 2025–26 academic year. Power 4 schools are expected to reach or exceed this cap. Total D1 NIL spending across all 357 tracked programs is estimated at $3.4 billion for 2026.

Question 7

Which sport gets the most NIL money?

Accepted Answer

Football receives the largest share of NIL spending at Power 4 schools, typically 65–80% of total NIL budgets. Men's basketball is second at 15–25%. At schools without football programs (Georgetown, Gonzaga, DePaul), basketball can account for 80–90% of all NIL activity.

Question 8

How much does Ohio State spend on NIL?

Accepted Answer

Ohio State is estimated to spend approximately $64 million on NIL in 2026, ranking #3 nationally behind Texas and LSU. College Front Office values the Buckeye football roster among the top three in the country (~$43M), and Ohio State — the 2024 national champion — adds substantially on top through men's basketball and non-revenue sports.

Question 9

How much does Alabama spend on NIL?

Accepted Answer

Alabama is estimated to spend approximately $49 million on NIL in 2026 under coach Kalen DeBoer, ranking #9 nationally. The Crimson Tide carry a top-eight football roster valuation and pair it with one of the SEC's biggest men's basketball budgets under Nate Oats, plus championship-level gymnastics.

Question 10

Which FCS schools have the most NIL money?

Accepted Answer

Among FCS programs, North Dakota State ($3.5M), South Dakota State ($3.2M), and Montana ($2.8M) are estimated to have the largest NIL budgets. FCS schools operate under much smaller NIL budgets compared to Power 4 programs due to lower revenue and attendance.

Texas

LSU

Ohio State

Oregon

Texas A&M

Miami (FL)

Notre Dame

Tennessee

Alabama

Georgia

Texas Tech

Michigan

Kentucky

USC

Oklahoma

Florida

Auburn

Indiana

Arkansas

South Carolina

Ole Miss

Penn State

Kansas

BYU

Nebraska

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