The College Sports Commission (CSC) has been making waves in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) space since starting up in June 2025. According to the latest NIL Deal Flow Report, the CSC has cleared over $127 million in NIL deal value, while turning down deals worth nearly $14.5 million.
The report digs into how the NIL Go platform is working, how deals are spread across different sports, and what all this might mean for the future of college sports. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get into it.
Rapid Growth and Efficient Processing of NIL Deals
The CSC’s NIL Go platform has quickly become a big part of Division I compliance. Since its launch, the platform has processed 17,321 deals, totaling more than $127 million in cleared value.
This fast adoption really shows just how much the platform matters in today’s NIL world.
Impressive Turnaround Times
NIL Go stands out for its speed. The report says 52% of submitted deals were resolved within 24 hours.
Even more, 73% were done within seven days once all the paperwork was in. That kind of quick work is a relief for folks worried that centralized NIL review would slow things down.
Enforcement and Rejection of Non-Compliant Deals
The platform might be fast, but it’s not just rubber-stamping everything. The CSC has rejected plenty of deals that didn’t meet their standards.
During the reporting period, 524 deals worth $14.94 million were rejected. Why? Well, here are the main reasons:
- No valid business purpose
- No real activation of NIL rights—sometimes called “warehousing”
- Compensation not matching what others in similar situations get
Guarding Against Pay-for-Play and Recruiting Inducements
These rejections show the CSC is serious about stopping deals that are really just pay-for-play or recruiting incentives. That’s a big deal as schools try to walk the line between NIL and revenue sharing under the House framework.
Staying vigilant on this front keeps things fair and above board, at least in theory.
Diverse Beneficiaries Across Multiple Sports
One thing that jumps out from the NIL Go data is just how many different student-athletes are getting in on the action. By December 31, 2025, 10,848 unique student-athletes had at least one deal cleared through NIL Go.
And get this—44% of those athletes play sports other than football or men’s basketball. That kind of spread really challenges the idea that only revenue sports benefit from NIL enforcement.
Wide Range of Sports Represented
Deals have been approved in more than 40 NCAA sports. So, it’s not just the big names cashing in—athletes from all over the athletic department are seeing some benefit.
Sure, football and men’s basketball still lead in total dollars, but the platform shows that others aren’t being left out entirely.
Low Arbitration Rates and Effective Dispute Resolution
Another thing worth noting: there aren’t many deals ending up in arbitration. As of December 31, 2025, only 10 deals were in arbitration, and eight of those have since been withdrawn.
The CSC pointed out that all of these involved a “resolved administrative issue at the same school.” So, most problems seem to get sorted out before they turn into big headaches.
Future Implications for High-Stakes Disputes
Will this low arbitration trend hold as higher-stakes recruiting disputes pop up? Hard to say. The CSC’s ability to handle those cases could really test the system.
CSC’s Proactive Stance on Third-Party NIL Deals
Recently, the CSC sent a reminder to Division I athletic directors about the rules on third-party NIL deals. This came after reports that football players were being offered deals meant to push transfers or keep them around, which runs up against House settlement restrictions.
The CSC made it clear: any NIL agreement or payment with an associated entity or individual must include direct activation of the student-athlete’s NIL rights.
Specific Requirements for Compliance
They clarified that contracts where MMR or other partners pay student-athletes for their NIL without saying how those rights will be used are probably breaking the rules.
This proactive approach shows the CSC is serious about keeping NIL deals transparent and in line with the guidelines. And honestly, that’s probably the only way this system keeps working.
The CSC’s latest NIL Deal Flow Report digs into the current state of NIL enforcement and compliance. It’s a pretty thorough look, honestly.
Deals are growing fast, and NIL Go seems to process them efficiently. There’s also some real bite to their enforcement mechanisms, which makes the platform pretty effective.
Athletes from all sorts of backgrounds are getting in on these NIL deals. Arbitration rates are surprisingly low, which says something about how smoothly things are running.
If you’re curious for more details, check out the full article on Forbes about how the College Sports Commission has denied $14.5 million in NIL deals.
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