NIL money is accelerating — and the latest numbers are eye‑popping

TL;DR

The College Sports Commission approved over $75 million in NIL deals for NCAA student-athletes in just two months, marking a significant increase from earlier this year. Total NIL deal approvals for 2026 have reached $115.14 million, with nearly $242.35 million paid out since the CSC's launch.

Key points

College Sports Commission approved over $75 million in NIL deals
More than 5,500 deals approved in two months
Total NIL deal approvals for 2026 reached $115.14 million
Average of $28.79 million in NIL deals per month
Nearly $242.35 million paid out since CSC's launch

Revealing the latest numbers in name, image and likeness deal-brokering for NCAA student-athletes, the College Sports Commission is coming off a two-month stretch of approving more than $75 million in NIL pacts.

In its Thursday, May 7 report, the CSC notes a two-month approval — March 1, 2026, through April 30, 2026 — of more than 5,500 deals worth $75.85 million.

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The numbers reflect an increase of more than $36 million from the opening two months of 2026; it brings to total $115.14 million in deal approvals this calendar year -- an average $28.79 million per month.

Overall, since the launch of the CSC and its partnership with the Deloitte-framed NIL Go third-party approval system, nearly one-quarter of a billion dollars -- $242.35 million -- in NIL money across 26.556 deals are being paid out to student-athletes.

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While the value of deal approvals is up overall, the CSC does count 442 deals worth $26.87 million not cleared. Additionally, the pace of deal reviewal and approval reflects a slight dip to 66% resolution within seven days, down from 70% approval within seven days per its previous release.

"IN many of the remaining 34% of deals, the CSC must seek additional information from the student-athlete, deal sponsor or institution via communication outside of the software platform to make a determination on the deal," per the CSC's release. "The CSC often is able to make determination on these deals within seven days of receiving such additional information, but NIL Go currently does not allow us to readily calculate this percentage.

"The CSC is working to update the platform in the coming months so that all or most communication occurs within NIL GO and those percentages can be calculated precisely."

In the nearly 11 months since the inception of the NIL Go platform, 1,153 deals with value projections of $56.17 million have not met clearance requirements.

The CSC also shares that the 21 deals pending arbitration are now merged into three arbitration cases. The CSC's first arbitration case is due for resolution this month, with the expectation a ruling will be provided by mid-May.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What latest NIL numbers reveal about where college sports is heading

Q&A

What is the total amount of NIL deals approved in 2026?

The total amount of NIL deals approved in 2026 has reached $115.14 million.

How many NIL deals were approved by the College Sports Commission recently?

The College Sports Commission approved more than 5,500 NIL deals worth $75.85 million in a recent two-month period.

What is the total NIL money paid to student-athletes since the CSC's launch?

Since the launch of the College Sports Commission, nearly $242.35 million in NIL money has been paid out across 26,556 deals.