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NIL

Commentary on NIL economics, deal structures, market dynamics, and what changes in the NIL landscape mean for families weighing offers.

12 articles in this category
A small-town high school stadium at dusk, field lights just on, empty bleachers, a football on the grass in front.
Jun 26, 2026Gary Knudson

High school NIL runs on state rules, not the college offer

As of April 2026, 44 states permit high school NIL and five ban it outright. What a recruit can do now is set by state rules, separate from any money a program quotes.

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Two stacks of weight plates in an empty dawn weight room, one lit warm gold, one in cool blue shadow.
Jun 21, 2026Gary Knudson

The NIL number a program quotes blends two different pools

On July 1 the House settlement's revenue-share cap rises to about $21.3 million per school. That money and the third-party NIL figures families also hear are two different pools.

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A football film room at night with a frozen play on screen, single warm lamp at empty back-row console, navy and amber light
Jun 10, 2026Gary Knudson

What 'valid business purpose' now decides about an NIL offer

Since June 2025, the College Sports Commission has rejected 1,153 NIL deals on three tests, including 'valid business purpose.' Families reading 2027 offers should know what that means.

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Pre-dawn high school stadium parking lot with a single parked car, warm interior light against cool blue dawn sky.
May 31, 2026Gary Knudson

What recent NIL buyout lawsuits mean for a recruit's offer

Oregon's May 15 suit against a transferred player is the latest in a wave of buyout cases. The trend reshapes how families should read a high school NIL offer.

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A long stadium tunnel at twilight, warm tungsten walls leading to a slim rectangle of cool field light at the far end
May 29, 2026Gary Knudson

The Nebraska NIL ruling defined which offers survive review

On May 11, an arbitrator upheld the College Sports Commission's rejection of $7.5 million in Nebraska NIL deals. The ruling defined a structural test for any offer.

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Long empty corridor in a college football administrative facility at dusk, warm brass sconces along closed dark wood doors.
May 24, 2026Gary Knudson

When a coach mentions an NIL number, ask which part has cleared

The College Sports Commission has cleared roughly $242 million in NIL deals and rejected about ten percent of what it has reviewed. For families weighing offers, the difference matters.

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Cinematic dawn shot of a rural Southern state-line highway with a worn football helmet on a roadside fence post.
May 20, 2026Gary Knudson

State tax codes are quietly reshaping the NIL math.

A growing list of states has moved to exempt athlete NIL earnings from state income tax. The advisory implication: the offer on the table and the after-tax number are no longer the same conversation.

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An empty courtroom interior at dusk, single brass lamp glowing on the bench, no people, navy and amber tones.
May 18, 2026Gary Knudson

The NIL clearinghouse is straining under school-affiliated deals

The CSC's clearinghouse cleared 3,704 NIL deals in early 2026 and rejected 187 worth $14.36 million. The backlog shapes how families read recruiting offers.

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A document being signed on a warm-lit desk with a fountain pen, navy leather portfolio beside it, blurred handshake in the background.
May 17, 2026Rudy Carpenter

What NIL Actually Means for High School Football Recruits

A plain-language guide to NIL for families weighing offers in the post-House-settlement era. What it is, who pays, how it differs from scholarship money, and the questions to ask.

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A signed document and fountain pen on a polished walnut desk under a warm tungsten banker's lamp, with stacked folders fading into cool blue shadow.
May 14, 2026Gary Knudson

Reading an NIL offer after the CSC's first arbitration win

The College Sports Commission won its first NIL arbitration on May 12. Here is what the ruling, and the May 27 federal hearing that follows, mean for how families should read an NIL offer.

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An open contract and fountain pen on a warm wood desk, brass lamp glow, stadium window blurred at blue hour behind.
May 12, 2026Gary Knudson

What the May 27 NIL ruling could change for families weighing offers

A federal hearing on May 27 will decide what counts as an “associated entity” under the House settlement. The outcome will shape how NIL offers are reviewed.

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A leather binder open on a press-box conference table, brass lamp light over the pages, an empty stadium at blue hour beyond.
May 12, 2026Gary Knudson

What the Nebraska NIL ruling tells families to ask during visits

An arbitrator rejected millions in NIL deals routed through Nebraska's multimedia rights partner. The two rules behind the decision are a practical filter for families hearing offers.

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