Conference rules on NIL, revenue sharing, transfers and eligibility
Overview · Protect College Sports Act · Laws on the books · Conference rules
What each Power 4 conference, plus Notre Dame as a football independent, has adopted or proposed on athlete pay, the College Sports Commission, transfers and eligibility, as of 2026-10-15. Every rule is marked adopted or proposed.
Rules that apply to every power-conference school
| Rule or policy | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| House v. NCAA settlement: schools may pay athletes directly up to an annual cap ($20.5M in 2025-26). The 2026-27 cap is reported as $21.6M (CBS Sports), $21.25M (USA Today) and about $21.3M (MultiState): CONFLICT. | adopted | — | [PR Newswire] [CBS Sports] [USA Today] [MultiState] |
| Third-party NIL deals of $600 or more must be reported to NIL Go and are reviewed by the College Sports Commission (CSC). | adopted | — | [PR Newswire] |
| Football roster limit of 105 (replaces scholarship limits); designated student-athletes exempt. | adopted | — | [College Sports Commission] |
| CSC University Participant Agreement (issued Nov. 19, 2025): schools waive suits against the CSC and accept arbitration. It takes effect only if all 68 power-conference schools sign; as of Oct. 2026 it had not been universally signed, and SBJ (citing CBS) reports adoption is "very unlikely." | proposed (not in effect) | — | [Yahoo Sports] [NBC Sports] [Sports Business Journal] |
| NCAA single football transfer window, Jan. 2-16 (from 2026), with a separate window for teams still playing. | adopted | — | [ESPN] |
| NCAA age-based eligibility ("five seasons in five years"), adopted June 2026; the Class of 2022 was not grandfathered, and that is still in court. | adopted (litigation pending) | — | [NCAA] [CBS Sports] |
SEC
Revenue sharing: All members take part (power-conference members participated automatically). [AL.com]
College Sports Commission participation agreement: SEC presidents signed the original CSC participation agreement in June 2025 (Yahoo). The final version needs all 68 schools and is not in effect. [Yahoo Sports]
SEC conference page
| Rule or policy | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uniform NIL and revenue-share contract for all SEC schools, approved by presidents Oct. 12, 2026, effective immediately; customizable sections, terms not public. | adopted | 2026-10-12 | [CBS Sports] [On3] |
| 2025 suggested contract template barred athletes and their representatives from soliciting or discussing offers from other schools while under contract (as reported by ESPN, via CBS). | circulated template (2025) | 2025 | [CBS Sports] |
| Intra-conference transfers would have to sit out a year. Drafted after an August 2026 strategy meeting; presidents tabled the vote Oct. 12, 2026, so in-conference transfers stay immediately eligible. | proposed, tabled | 2026-10-12 | [On3] |
| Players drafted by, or rostered in, the NFL, NBA or WNBA are ineligible at SEC schools (football and basketball). | adopted | 2026-08-25 | [NBC News] |
| Head-coach suspensions for adding pro players (ESPN, sources). | reported, unverified | 2026-08 | [ESPN] |
| Conference-level "breakaway" enforcement of NIL rules was discussed at the May 2026 spring meetings; nothing was adopted. | discussed only | 2026-05 | [Yahoo Sports] |
Big Ten
Revenue sharing: All members take part. [AL.com]
College Sports Commission participation agreement: No report found of all Big Ten members signing the CSC participation agreement (Big 12 commissioner said in May 2026 that other leagues had not signed). [NBC Sports]
Big Ten conference page
| Rule or policy | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard athlete revenue-sharing contract template (memorandum of understanding) since before July 2025. Schools customize it, e.g. transfer buyout or repayment terms, termination rights and a "No Employment" clause. | adopted (school-customized) | 2025 | [Extra Points] [CBS Sports] |
| Asked the NCAA to pause tampering enforcement (Bylaw 13.1.1.4) and rewrite transfer rules (letter, Mar. 2026). The ACC and Big 12 opposed; the NCAA said there is no moratorium. | proposed to NCAA, not adopted | 2026-03-11 | [On3] [Yahoo Sports] |
| Former professional players are ineligible: football (Aug. 25, 2026), extended to men's and women's basketball (Sept. 28, 2026). | adopted | 2026-08-25 | [NBC News] [Yahoo Sports] |
ACC
Revenue sharing: All members take part. [AL.com]
College Sports Commission participation agreement: No report found of all ACC members signing the CSC participation agreement. [NBC Sports]
ACC conference page
| Rule or policy | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Board of Directors told the commissioner to enforce ineligibility for athletes returning after pro careers (draft not withdrawn, pro contract incl. Exhibit 10/two-way, or pro roster) in football and basketball. | adopted | 2026-08 (exact date not confirmed) | [The Daily Tar Heel] |
| Opposed pausing NCAA tampering enforcement (Commissioner Jim Phillips). | position | 2026-03-12 | [Yahoo Sports] |
| No conference-wide NIL or revenue-sharing contract template was found in public reporting. | none found | — | — |
Big 12
Revenue sharing: All members take part. [AL.com]
College Sports Commission participation agreement: All 16 presidents agreed unanimously to sign the CSC participation agreement (May 29, 2026), the first power league to do so. The agreement still needs all 68 schools to take effect. [NBC Sports]
Big 12 conference page
| Rule or policy | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional athletes (draft declaration not withdrawn, or signed pro contract) barred in all conference sports, regardless of NCAA eligibility rulings. | adopted | 2026-08-26 | [Big 12 Conference] |
| Commissioner Brett Yormark "adamantly opposed" to pausing tampering enforcement. | position | 2026-03-12 | [Yahoo Sports] |
Notre Dame (football independent)
Revenue sharing: Opted in; the AD said Notre Dame would fund the full cap. [AL.com] [USA Today]
College Sports Commission participation agreement: Not reported.
Notre Dame (football independent) conference page
| Rule or policy | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent in football, so no conference football bylaws apply. Notre Dame is an ACC member in other sports, and whether ACC football eligibility resolutions bind it was not found in reporting. | note | — | — |
| AD Pete Bevacqua told a Senate hearing the cap was not working as a cap (June 2026). | position | 2026-06-03 | [USA Today] |
The Pac-12 (rebuilt for 2026) and other FBS leagues are outside this site's 68-school scope.
Related: Laws on the books (state laws) · Protect College Sports Act