• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 11, 2025

The Biggest Changes to College Sports Are Coming in 2025

From revenue-sharing to athlete employee status, here’s how the college sports business model could continue to evolve in the coming year.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a first-down catch against Oregon during the 2025 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
Gareth Bale
Exclusive

Gareth Bale Group Makes New Offer for Cardiff City 

Bale tells Front Office Sports his group has made another bid.
Read Now
July 10, 2025 |

In 2024, college football experienced multiple seismic shifts. A season of change began with another round of realignment led by the Pac-12, and culminated in the first 12-team College Football Playoff that, so far, has showcased an unprecedented amount of parity.

But in 2025, the entire business model of college sports could change in football and beyond. Revenue-sharing, employee status, and collective bargaining are all on the table. 

While the courts, Congress, and industry stakeholders battle over the specifics, college sports, and big-time football, in particular, are moving further into an era of professionalization. 

Revenue-Sharing on the Horizon

The most probable change, revenue-sharing, will result from the House v. NCAA settlement. Think of it as a give-and-take: The NCAA is conceding that schools should finally be allowed to pay players; but in exchange, it wants more power to control the NIL (name, image, and likeness) market.

The settlement proposal, which calls for $2.8 billion in damages and infrastructure for schools to pay players—was filed in July and granted preliminary approval in October. Northern District of California judge Claudia Wilken has the opportunity to give it a final rubber stamp during a hearing April 7—which would set the Division I revenue-sharing era in motion July 1, 2025.

As it stands now, each D-I school would have the opportunity to share up to a certain amount of money with every player in its athletic department per year. The cap will begin at around $20.5 million per school, and will rise to around $30 million over 10 years. Schools will have to pay all their players, from football players to swimmers, according to an FAQ published by the NCAA.

Schools would have just a three-month window to figure out implementation, which has produced a wave of new athletic department infrastructure like “salary-cap managers” and creative fundraising efforts. But the distribution rules are still up in the air.

Future of Collectives Is Uncertain

Currently, players can negotiate deals with schools, coaches, collectives, and donors before they enroll at a school—which the NCAA considers “pay-for-play.” But the House settlement would require a third-party operator to approve all $600-plus NIL deals from school-affiliated entities. If the operator believes the deals are above the “fair market value” for a player’s NIL rights, then the deal would be blocked.

Multiple experts have told Front Office Sports that they don’t know how fair market value would be determined, and whether the concept would hold up if challenged in court.

As a result of the restriction, some schools have announced they’ll begin to sunset their collectives altogether, or instead bring them in-house. But others think collectives could still find workarounds.

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA;  Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) hands off to Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) on a run against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Caesars Superdome.
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Employee Status Is Less Likely

At the beginning of 2024, the athlete-employee movement was gaining momentum.

In January, two National Labor Relations Board cases involving Dartmouth men’s basketball players and USC football and basketball, respectively, appeared to be progressing toward athlete-friendly rulings. (Dartmouth players received the right to unionize and voted to do so in March.) Meanwhile, the NCAA’s congressional lobbying campaign to halt the movement wasn’t gaining traction.

But in November, Donald Trump won the presidential election—and a red wave swept both houses of Congress. Trump and congressional Republicans will have plenty of mechanisms to halt the athlete-employee movement.

After Inauguration Day, Trump is expected to remove the athlete-friendly NLRB general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo. He’ll also have the opportunity to almost immediately flip the pro-labor makeup of the NLRB national board after the Senate failed to reconfirm chairman Lauren McFerran for another term.

On New Year’s Eve, Dartmouth men’s basketball players withdrew their petition to unionize. Dartmouth had appealed the pro-union ruling, and the national board had yet to say whether it would take up the case. The union representing Dartmouth players said in a statement that this way, they could “preserve” their win from the first ruling. An administrative law judge is still deliberating the USC decision.

The new makeup of Congress will likely also be pro-NCAA. Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) will head the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over college sports compensation questions, and he’s already said that passing a bill to govern college sports will be a priority. He’s signaled interest in banning athletes from being deemed employees, though he’s also conceded his legislation will need to be bipartisan.

All hope isn’t lost for the employee-status movement. The Johnson v. NCAA case, which argues all D-I athletes are employees, is still pending in federal court. And if Congress passes a law over athlete-employee status that halts the case, attorney Paul McDonald plans to challenge it on equal protection grounds.

Collective Bargaining Has Momentum

A growing chorus of stakeholders have begun to call for athletes to gain more negotiating power. 

Coaches have proposed collective bargaining, and a group of plaintiffs in the House case have written a letter asking the judge to mandate the creation of a players’ association. Federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have noted players need a bigger voice. (It’s hard to say whether an association that isn’t a formally recognized union would have that much power, though.)

There are plenty of moving parts, but one thing is certain: In 2025, college athletes will look more like professionals than ever before.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Najee Harris Contract Situation Unclear Following Fireworks Injury

The running back signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Chargers in March.

NCAA: March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams ‘Still Viable’ for 2026

Negotiations continue with media rights holder CBS and TNT Sports.

NFL Likely to Stay With CBS, Targeting Mass Renegotiation in 2029

The league instead looks toward a broader set of contract opt-outs.
Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center.

Cooper Flagg Makes Mavericks, New Balance Debut in Win Over Bronny

Thursday marked Flagg’s first game donning New Balance shoes.

Featured Today

Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2)1 dribbles against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
July 10, 2025

‘Kind of a Joke’: Frustrations Mount As New NIL Deal Approval Process..

Delays have already led to athletes losing NIL opportunities.
July 10, 2025

Deion Sanders Rips ‘Bulljunk’ in CFB, Calls for NFL-Style Salary Cap

Coach Prime is frustrated with the new revenue-sharing era.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.
July 9, 2025

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.
July 9, 2025

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.
July 9, 2025

Big Ten, Big 12 Commissioners Remain Far Apart on CFP’s Future

A decision on expansion must be made by December.
TSU Hockey at Bridgestone
July 8, 2025

Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

The school will not launch the first-of-its-kind program as intended.