• Loading stock data...
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

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

Women’s Elite Eight Ratings Down 53%, Still Top Pre–Caitlin Clark Years

UConn wasn’t in the most-watched game for the first time.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Olivia Miles

Top WNBA Draft Prospect Opts For Transfer Portal Instead

Olivia Miles had been projected as a top-2 pick.

Featured Today

Dec 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) skates during warm ups before their game against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center at San Jose

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks Rookies Have Brought Good Vibes to a..

The rookie’s arrival has boosted spirits incongruously high inside the struggling franchise.
Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
April 1, 2025

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.

In the NIL Era, College Basketball’s Biggest Programs Keep Winning

Only Power 4 teams qualified for the men’s Sweet 16.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Olivia Miles (5) celebrates a three-pointer as TCU Horned Frogs face off with Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Sweet 16 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
April 1, 2025

Olivia Miles Delays WNBA Dreams: Why She Chose the Transfer Portal

Miles was the projected No. 2 overall pick.
April 2, 2025

SEC, Big Ten Secure $3M Payouts From Women’s March Madness

Each unit is estimated to be about $113,636.
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.
Paige Bueckers
March 31, 2025

Paige Bueckers Extends College Career Another Week

Bueckers advancing is a win for UConn, the Big East, and ESPN.
Trae Young
March 31, 2025

Trae Young Is Latest NBA Star to Take On 7-Figure College Job

Young is the latest NBA star to join the college arms race. 
Mar 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4), left, guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) and head coach Bruce Pearl celebrate with teammates after winning the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Arena.
March 31, 2025

SEC Earns Record $70M in Men’s March Madness Units

The NCAA distributes payouts based on participation and prowess in the tournament.
March 30, 2025

Missing Madness: All No. 1 Seeds in Men’s Final Four, First Time..

The results show the impact of NIL and the transfer portal.