The evolving landscape of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals is poised to reshape the business of college sports. With potential revenue-sharing models on the horizon, athletes, schools, and brands are navigating uncharted territory—a strategic shift that demands attention from industry leaders. It has an untapped potential vibe written all over it and lots of we-are-just-getting-started kind of energy. In our latest EssentiallySports Think Tank podcast episode, we got Michigan icon and legend Blake Corum to join us for a chat.

Corum, as you know, is a revered figure in the NIL world. Ever since the Supreme Court laid waste to the NCAA’s rules governing college athletes making money, Corum has been at the forefront of and center of the evolution of NIL deals these past few years. That’s why our host, Trey Holder, didn’t waste any time asking Corum, “Where do you see NIL going as a whole?”

Corum didn’t beat around the bush at all. He straight-up spilled what he thinks is going to happen pretty soon. “I think we’ve only discovered a little bit of what NIL is,” Corum shared. He believes the NIL landscape resembles an emerging market brimming with uncharted potential.

That House vs NCAA landmark settlement case could have some major repercussions in the NIL domain. “Obviously, on April 7th, I think they’re going to finalize what’s going on if you play it from 2016. I think it is to 2021 or 2022. It’s like a $2B lawsuit, I think, that gets finalized on April 7th,” Corum added. After April 7th, it’s going to become clearer which former student-athletes are eligible to receive compensation for previously unpaid NIL-related profits. But that’s not the major focus here.

The main thing Corum is looking forward to from that April 7th hearing is the use of NIL revenue share. “In terms of NIL revenue share, I think it’s going to happen within this next year..I think each school is going to get..starting price maybe $20M,” he predicted. And he is spot on. Come the 2025-26 academic year, the estimated pool cap in schools is predicted to be $ 20.5 M. However, that final figure is going to be determined in Q1 of this year. Corum is excited, as he further added:

“I think revenue share is going to be a big thing, with probably the majority of it going into football and then being spread out through the other sports. I think the possibility of collectives dying down, especially when the revenue shares start.. but the schools, I think they’d rather have that donor money for education. So, I think if we get revenue share, if they might kick the collectives out, and now you have no other choice but to make NIL from the revenue and brand deals, Blake Corum expressed. Judging by Corum emphasizing how that $20.5M in revenue share could be used.

Let’s take a look at some of the richest schools, like Ohio State, to have a deeper understanding of how that revenue share will be distributed.

Ohio State’s Bold NIL Strategy: A Model for Sustainable Growth

Ohio State has one of the richest athletic budgets operating in the country ($275M). And not only that. It also boasts the largest student-athlete population offering sports sponsorship. Like 1,000 athletes competing in 36 sports, that’s just the rough data. So, how is Ohio State going to use its share of NIL revenue?

Their athletic director, Ross Bjork, is planning to do it in two ways. One will be based on a male-female split, and the other on a market-based approach. The latter will depend on other sub-factors like sports television viewership, social media impressions, and fans’ interest. This is Ohio State’s ground plan to distribute NIL revenue share fairly.

Aside from Ohio State, multiple schools are planning to invest 90% of their revenue share in just two sports. Football and Men’s basketball are probably going to get the chunk of NIL money.

And if it happens, it will mean the football rosters might receive $13-$16M. While Men’s basketball could pull $2-$4 if you take into account its popularity. As for the Buckeyes football roster, they are already receiving roughly $20M in compensation. So, it remains to be seen how well they can actually use the NIL revenue share.

As Blake Corum emphasizes, the NIL landscape is still evolving, and the introduction of revenue-sharing models could fundamentally alter college sports’ financial ecosystem. For marketers, understanding how schools like Ohio State adapt to this shift will be crucial in identifying emerging sponsorship opportunities.

Stay tuned as the EssentiallySports Think Tank continues to explore these transformative industry developments.