Tuesday, October 27, 2026

NIL Deals Affecting More Than Superstars

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

It’s been more than a month since college athletes were first able to profit from their name, image, and likeness — and some significant money has been earned.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has made close to $1 million, while Hercy Miller — an incoming Tennessee State University basketball player and Master P’s son — signed a $2 million endorsement with Web Apps America.

Athlete marketing platform Opendorse shared its numbers from the first month, revealing how much the average student athlete is earning in this new era for college sports. 

  • Division I: $471 average ($210,000 peak)
  • Division II: $81 average ($750 peak)
  • Division III: $47 average ($50 peak)

Football captured 79% of the NIL market share, with men’s basketball following at 9.6% and women’s volleyball at 5.5%. 

Nearly half (46%) of the 2,500 athletes included in Opendorse’s data earned income from social media promotions, and 29% earned money from licensing their NIL rights. The rest came from signing autographs, making appearances, content creation, hosting camps, and selling products.

Last week, Utah-based Built Bar introduced an innovative twist on NIL deals when it told all 36 BYU football walk-ons that the company would pay for their tuition.

Editor’s Note: Opendorse is an FOS partner.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Utah Is College Football’s PE Guinea Pig—and Its’ Cashing In

No. 10 Utah hosts No. 14 Houston on Saturday night.

College Football’s Emerging Powers Are Shaking Up TV Ratings

BYU–Notre Dame averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC.
Oct 9, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake walks off the field after a win over the Iowa State Cyclones at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

BYU Outperforming Its Budget As Notre Dame Showdown Arrives

Cougars coach Kalani Sitake has openly pushed for more resources.
Oct 1, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino speaks at 2026 Big East Media Day at Marriott Marquis.

St. John’s Booster Repole Says Team Better Make the Final Four

Mike Repole has contributed seven-figure sums to his alma mater’s NIL program.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/27/26 – NBA Enters Prediction Markets, WNBA Finals Midday Move, LIV Hangs by a Thread

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?

CFB Coach Firings: NC State, Maryland, Baylor Owe More Than $30M

More costly coaching changes could follow as pressure mounts across college football.
Nov 22, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns flag on the field after a touchdown is scored during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
October 23, 2026

Kirk Goldsberry Leads Texas’s AI Push and Understands the Skeptics

Goldsberry says the program will create jobs, not cut them.
October 23, 2026

Bowl Games Face Uncertain Future With a 24-Team CFP

College football bowl game viewership rose 13% year over year in 2025.
Sponsored

How the New York Yankees Stay Game-Ready with Sage Intacct

See how Sage Intacct helps the Yankees streamline finances and plan for the future.
Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby looks on during the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
October 22, 2026

Cincinnati’s $1M Sorsby Lawsuit Hangs Over Texas Tech Showdown

One of the biggest offseason storylines returns to the spotlight on Saturday.
Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before the game between the Sooners and the Longhorns at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
October 22, 2026

Arch Manning’s Slump Clouds His Draft Stock, Texas’s Investment

Draft analysts now question whether Manning should declare—or transfer.
Kentucky's Jason Patterson (26) gets by Oklahoma's Owen Heinecke (38) in the second half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Kentucky Wildcats at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Oct., 17, 2026.
First at FOS
October 22, 2026

Inside the First College Sports Super PAC

The PAC launched last month and hasn’t yet reported any donations.
Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley walks the sidelines during the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
October 21, 2026

Maryland Breaks Ice With $10M Mike Locksley Firing

$4.9 million is due to Locksley within 60 days.