• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, January 29, 2025

The Paid College League

  • This summer, there will be a new college basketball league aimed at providing the economic and educational opportunities the NCAA doesn’t.
  • The Professional Collegiate League will pay players between $50,000 – $150,000.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY/Design: Alex Brooks

Even if players don’t go to college, they still can’t enter the NBA Draft until a year after graduating high school.

In that gap year, some play overseas. Others, like five-star recruit Michael Foster (pictured), will go to the NBA G League’s Ignite team. 

But there will be a college basketball option aimed at providing the economic and educational opportunities the NCAA doesn’t: the Professional Collegiate League.

How It Works

The PCL will host its first season this summer in the Washington, D.C. area. It will feature teams from eight east coast cities. 

The PCL plans to generously pay between $50,000 – 150,000 and allow players to profit from their NIL. 

And education is important to the league: Players must be enrolled in a two- or four-year college to be eligible. That’s also why the league will be played in the summer, so athletes can focus on school and campus life in the off-season.

‘Economic Justice’

The league is committed to giving athletes resources it believes have been previously unavailable at the NCAA level. 

“How do we think about treating athletes fairly?” journalist and PCL advisory board member Soledad O’Brien told reporters. “How do we think about supporting them so that they get to their goals and they’re able to leverage what they are bringing to the table?” 

“I think that’s what makes, from my perspective, this really essential.”

Even its broadcast partner is aligned. Last week, the PCL signed a media rights deal with Next Level Sports and Entertainment and its digital streaming arm For The Fans. The broadcaster describes itself as the “sole minority-owned 24/7 linear platform” with content “for and by urban communities.”

“This is the time to give economic justice, and put it in the hands of these young athletes that deserve it,” Next Level Sports owner André Gudger told reporters. 

“I believe in this model.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Head coach Ryan Day fires up the crowd during the Ohio State Buckeyes College Football Playoff National Championship celebration at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Jan. 26, 2025.

American Football Coaches Association Taps Federal Lobbyists

Lobbying disclosures noted the groups will be working on NIL issues.

Vanderbilt Has Racked Up $850,000 in Fines for Court Storming This School..

Vandy’s head coach said he’s fine with the fines for now.
USC football

USC Poaches Notre Dame Football GM Chad Bowden With $1 Million Salary

The GM position has taken on outsized importance in college sports.
Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State’s Title Isn’t As Simple As $20 Million in NIL

Three lessons from the Buckeyes’ title beyond “pay the best players.”

Featured Today

It’s Starting to Pay to Be Good at Cornhole

American Cornhole League players made $7.7 million in 2024.
PWHL arena
January 25, 2025

PWHL’s Sophomore Year Booms in Canada, Has Room to Grow in U.S.

Attendance is up 30% from last year, the league says.
January 24, 2025

Once Abandoned, Portland Is Regaining Its Place in the WNBA

The next WNBA team is springing up in a once-deserted market.
October 17, 2011; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets fan fireman Ed during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
January 24, 2025

Superfandom Is a Lifestyle, Business—and Thorn in Some Teams’ Sides

Rabid fandom has perks—sometimes to the frustration of teams and leagues.
Brown falls to Dartmouth 84-83 at Pizzitola Sports Center. Alexander Lesburt Jr drives to the net with Ryan Cornish defending for Dartmouth.

What Trump’s Moves Mean for Future of College Sports Labor

Athletes probably won’t win employee status through the NLRB.
January 26, 2025

Penn State Poaches Rival Ohio State DC With Record $9.3M Deal

Ohio State had one of the best defenses last season.
Jan 24, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; LSU Lady Tigers guard Flau'Jae Johnson (4) drives against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Colonial Life Arena.
January 26, 2025

South Carolina WBB Suspends DJ Who Trolled LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson

The DJ will be suspended for one home game.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) reacts during the second half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
opinion
January 26, 2025

In the NIL Era, You Can Help Your School Buy a Quarterback

How the wild new normal sets college sports apart from the pros.
January 22, 2025

CFP Title Game Draws 22 Million Viewers, Down 12% From Last Year

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in Monday’s title game.
January 21, 2025

CFP Aftermath: What’s Next for Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman?

Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the title game Monday.
Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate their 34-23 win over Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
January 21, 2025

Why College Football Playoff Championship Game Must Be on Monday

It’d be a bad idea for the CFP to compete with the NFL.