The college football landscape is ever-evolving. The introduction of NIL has changed the sport forever, and the landmark House settlement rule has completely shaken up how schools will navigate these complex financial waters.
It was widely anticipated that teams would look to frontload NIL deals for players before the revenue-share era began on July 1. However, the latest data and research show an unbelievable increase in spending in June 2025.
Massive Increase in NIL Deals Down to Schools Frontloading Deals
The latest data from Opendorse reveals an unprecedented increase in spending on college athletes by NIL collectives. In June 2025, 824% more funds were spent than in June 2024.
That insane increase is likely down to teams frontloading deals for their athletes before the House settlement was introduced. The settlement was widely expected to be approved by almost everyone, for better or for worse. What it meant was that teams were able to plan and distribute those funds before the settlement took effect.
Opendorse released its annual NIL report and, woo boy, it’s a banger.
This June, NIL collectives paid athletes… 824% more than they did last June – perhaps the most revealing front-loading figure yet.
Also: Athletes projected to get $2.75B this year in Rev-Share + NIL. pic.twitter.com/2O8YJw0qFC
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 1, 2025
Many prominent figures from across the sport warned of the real possibility that teams would frontload deals to get ahead of the settlement and the introduction of the revenue-sharing era. The latest statistics indicate that this is precisely what happened.
Blue-blood programs and teams with NIL collectives backed by endlessly deep pockets have been able to push through deals before the fair market value terms become actionable. At the same time, other teams have been able to spend additional funds, anticipating that the extra money would become available this summer.
The Opendorse report states that over $1 billion more was spent in 2024-25 compared to the previous season, with the 2025-26 year spending projected to hit $2.75 billion.
That total includes NIL and revenue sharing, where teams have a new pot of money unlocked to pay players.
READ MORE: College Sports Commission Boss Bryan Seeley Reveals Bold Plan To Enforce NIL Rules
While that new pot is split across all college sports, college football will be the big winner. Opendorse suggests that, of the $20.5 million in revenue sharing available, 65.6% of that pot will be allocated to football by Power Four schools.
And you guessed it — quarterbacks are earning more than ever before. Of the football allocated budget, it is expected that Power Four teams will spend 16.9% of it on their quarterback on average, while wide receivers average 15.4% and offensive linemen 14.2%
On the other side of the ball, 13.7% is expected to land in the accounts of defensive linemen, while defensive backs will likely average a slightly smaller slice of the pie at 13%.
All this says is that there is more money in college football than ever before, and student-athletes are being compensated at a higher rate than anyone expected when NIL was implemented. The sport is entering a new era under revenue sharing, and the new rules are unlikely to be the last we see in the immediate future.
