At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Virginia Commonwealth University will make a significant investment in its student-athletes by participating in the revenue-sharing component of the House v. NCAA settlement. In December, the settlement was approved, allowing student-athletes to receive compensation through both revenue sharing and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) earnings.
This change follows the implementation of the NIL rule on July 1, 2021, which permits college athletes to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness. The rule was a significant shift in collegiate sports, granting student-athletes the ability to capitalize on their personal brand through various opportunities.
The introduction of new bylaws allowed athletes to monetize their NIL through endorsement deals, business ventures, and other forms of compensation. This change was driven by a landmark Supreme Court decision, marking a turning point in how student-athletes are compensated for their contributions to college sports.
Under the terms of the settlement, athletic programs have the opportunity to share up to 20 million dollars with student-athletes, with the amount increasing each year. Programs can choose to opt in or opt out, and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has decided to opt in. However, since VCU does not have a football team, the university lacks the resources to pay the full amount. Since 2021, VCU student-athletes have been able to sign private sponsorship deals through Name, Image, and Likeness, and they will continue to have this opportunity moving forward.
In April, Virginia passed a new law allowing state universities to directly compensate student-athletes through NIL. VCU will adopt this new model to remain competitive with the broader collegiate landscape. While the Rams may not be able to match the resources of the state’s larger universities, which compete in power conferences and generate significant revenue, VCU’s expected opt-in amount is in line with many other Atlantic-10 basketball programs, most of which do not have football teams.
Despite not having a football team, VCU is poised to take advantage of this new law to ensure its student-athletes benefit from the growing NIL opportunities. By adopting this model, VCU aims to remain competitive within its conference and continue attracting top talent, even if it doesn't have the financial scale of the state's larger schools.
Edited by Naiya Dalce
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