In 2025, colleges will hand out $20.5 million to student-athletes through direct payments under the House v. NCAA deal reached last month.
Former athletes from 2016-2024 will get $2.8 billion in back pay. This is the first official payment system for college athletes, with yearly 4% bumps planned through 2035.
"We're not just talking about it when they get here... We're giving them game plans before they even step foot into college," Kyle Bray told the News-Press.
This change puts schools in charge of paying athletes. The days of outside groups handling NIL deals while schools sat on the sidelines are over.
Mit Winter, who works in NIL law, says schools now need to write up agreements laying out name, image, and likeness terms. These papers will cover what happens when deals end and athletes transfer.
When Florida let high school athletes make money from their personal brands in 2021, IMG started special training. They brought in experts to teach the basics of contracts and money management.
Brian Nash spoke to the News-Press: "If we didn't bring those people onto campus... our kids would be behind compared to other places."
Two companies now help IMG students navigate this new landscape. Advance NIL covers the ins and outs of contracts, while Merrill handles money matters and taxes. These became must-have services as families stepped into unfamiliar financial waters.
By teaming up with universities, IMG helps smooth the path into paid college sports. They started getting ready well before the 2025 kickoff date.
The school's blend of sports training and money smarts attracts parents looking for full preparation. Students pick up real-world know-how before diving into actual college contracts.
