Estimated 2026 Revenue Sharing – NCAA I Swim teams:
Football and Men’s basketball will account for close to 90% of revenue sharing payments at most Power 4 schools. The remaining 10% results in an average payout of around $ 5,187 per athlete in all other sports including swimming:
Revenue Sharing Estimates
Power 4 Schools: 2025-26 *Operating
Revenue %
Allocation
to Team ($)
# of eligible
Athletes *Average per
Athlete ($)
Football 72.7% 14,910,614 105 142,006
Men's Basketball 15.1% 3,084,215 15 205,614
All Other Sports 12.2% 2,505,171 483
5,187
2025-26 Average 100% 20,500,000 603
* These estimates are based on 2025 team specific operating revenues as reported to the NCAA. In almost all cases, the maximum $ 20.5 million revenue sharing allocation will ultimately be reduced by the $ 2.5 million dollar for dollar offset for new scholarships. Eligible athletes are based on the new roster limits effective July 1, 2025.
These are averages, a few players may receive much more, while most will likely receive less. These estimates are for revenue sharing payments only (i.e. Institutional NIL), they do not include third-party NIL compensation. Most sports will likely receive no revenue sharing allocation, but will be eligible for greater scholarship awards.
Big potential increase in athletic scholarship awards for NCAA I Swimmers:
While swimmers will not receive substantial revenue sharing payments, most will be eligible for significantly higher athletic scholarship awards. As part of the House v NCAA settlement, scholarship limits have been removed, and roster caps have been established for each sport. For participating schools this would result in every swimmer effectively being eligible for a full scholarship. For women’s swimming & diving, the athletic scholarship limit has been increased from 14 to 30, effectively doubling the available scholarship money for female swimmers at most NCAA I schools:
2025 Scholarship Awards
Women's Swim Teams *Conference 2025
Roster # of Player
awards 2025Total Team ($)
Awards 2025 Average Player
Award 2025 ($)
Maximum Player
Award 2026 ($)
Roster
Limit **Out-of-State
Average Cost of
Attendance ($)
Akron MAC 31 27 445,514 16,501 35,268 30 38,126
Arizona Big 12 34 29 890,691 30,713 62,723 30 64,681
Arizona State Big 12 37 33 662,957 20,090 67,576 30 54,724
Arkansas SEC 25 24 634,385 26,433 50,376 30 51,292
Ball State MAC 35 36 430,740 11,965 39,029 30 44,228
Bowling Green MAC 39 31 483,115 15,584 36,359 30 39,657
Buffalo MAC 29 28 617,583 22,057 51,624 30 55,216
California ACC 37 35 971,783 27,765 69,819 30 78,189
Cincinnati Big 12 37 36 627,282 17,425 49,454 30 52,212
Colorado State Pac-12 24 23 635,405 27,626 51,748 30 55,378
Connecticut Big East 30 26 552,386 21,246 48,203 30 64,478
Eastern Michigan MAC 32 28 520,468 18,588 40,538 30 35,804
Florida SEC 32 31 753,299 24,300 70,448 30 45,808
Florida State ACC 47 31 657,147 21,198 39,706 30 39,830
Fresno State Pac-12 29 25 576,962 23,078 31,120 30 43,274
Georgia SEC 33 30 689,073 22,969 52,351 30 50,050
Georgia Southern Sun Belt 29 26 506,179 19,468 44,971 30 42,668
Hawaii MW 31 27 722,364 26,754 46,404 30 56,622
Houston Big 12 33 33 605,430 18,346 40,842 30 52,907
Illinois Big Ten 40 37 670,501 18,122 48,881 30 38,128
Indiana Big Ten 43 18 815,773 45,321 58,399 30 60,348
Iowa Big Ten 28 25 553,520 22,141 48,734 30 51,329
Iowa State Big 12 27 26 591,077 22,734 42,054 30 43,219
JMU Sun Belt 28 28 558,838 19,959 45,615 30 50,630
Kansas Big 12 34 35 755,332 21,581 50,420 30 47,882
LSU SEC 30 27 578,385 21,422 45,797 30 54,118
Marshall Sun Belt 27 26 466,843 17,956 30,332 30 38,934
Massachusetts MAC 26 21 633,478 30,166 59,521 30 59,759
Miami of Ohio MAC 39 38 710,711 18,703 50,811 30 64,426
Michigan Big Ten 33 30 1,269,027 42,301 86,131 30 82,277
Minnesota Big Ten 32 26 765,847 29,456 51,913 30 57,074
Missouri State CUSA 35 35 371,103 10,603 32,353 30 36,642
Nebraska Big Ten 25 24 578,298 24,096 44,411 30 47,968
Nevada MW 24 26 685,880 26,380 49,244 30 48,512
New Mexico MW 32 27 669,286 24,788 50,539 30 50,843
New Mexico State CUSA 33 25 623,509 24,940 39,619 30 44,898
North Carolina ACC 35 31 665,574 21,470 45,931 30 60,040
North Carolina State ACC 30 22 506,490 23,022 44,314 30 51,635
North Texas American 29 29 424,628 14,642 29,869 30 41,452
Ohio MAC 39 27 524,197 19,415 41,249 30 42,884
Ohio State Big Ten 39 35 900,290 25,723 60,509 30 59,528
Penn State Big Ten 30 28 749,139 26,755 63,133 30 62,884
Purdue Big Ten 45 44 604,089 13,729 50,795 30 47,044
Rutgers Big Ten 35 24 1,094,681 45,612 71,187 30 59,000
San Diego State Pac-12 29 27 644,631 23,875 44,937 30 47,704
Tennessee SEC 32 31 500,731 16,153 92,131 30 55,920
Texas SEC 36 36 645,649 17,935 49,964 30 66,681
Toledo MAC 35 16 682,000 42,625 44,058 30 41,747
UCLA Big Ten 40 36 872,604 24,239 62,537 30 81,851
Utah Big 12 36 33 682,618 20,685 60,192 30 61,640
Virginia ACC 33 26 1,100,324 42,320 75,988 30 84,446
Washington State Pac-12 26 25 724,909 28,996 55,210 30 51,910
West Virginia Big 12 26 26 530,093 20,388 52,200 30 47,967
Wisconsin Big Ten 32 28 826,178 29,506 63,378 30 63,268
Wyoming MW 40 33 549,957 16,665 42,337 30 42,888
Average - 56 teams 33 29 654,935 23,461 50,471 30 52,719
For Men’s swimming & diving, the athletic scholarship limit has been increased from 9.9 to 30, effectively tripling the available scholarship money for male swimmers at most NCAA I schools:
2025 Scholarship Awards
Men's Swim Teams *Conference 2025
Roster # of Player
awards 2025Total Team ($)
Awards 2025 Average Player
Award 2025 ($)
Maximum Player
Award 2026 ($)
Roster
Limit **Out-of-State
Average Cost of
Attendance ($)
Arizona Big 12 36 31 663,110 21,391 62,723 30 64,681
Arizona State Big 12 37 28 509,421 18,194 67,576 30 54,724
Ball State MAC 29 - - - 39,029 30 44,228
California ACC 40 37 705,748 19,074 69,819 30 78,189
Cincinnati Big 12 32 31 395,482 12,757 49,454 30 52,212
Florida SEC 42 43 508,314 11,821 70,448 30 45,808
Florida State ACC 32 19 444,072 23,372 39,706 30 39,830
Georgia SEC 36 29 455,843 15,719 52,351 30 50,050
Hawaii MW 31 20 520,436 26,022 46,404 30 56,622
Indiana Big Ten 53 23 623,765 27,120 58,399 30 60,348
LSU SEC 28 18 578,385 32,133 45,797 30 54,118
Massachusetts MAC 22 5 24,239 4,848 59,521 30 59,759
Miami of Ohio MAC 35 25 386,406 15,456 50,811 30 64,426
Michigan Big Ten 40 34 972,405 28,600 86,131 30 82,277
Minnesota Big Ten 30 27 535,965 19,851 51,913 30 57,074
Missouri State CUSA 22 19 273,861 14,414 32,353 30 36,642
North Carolina ACC 37 35 502,647 14,361 45,931 30 60,040
North Carolina State ACC 36 30 401,416 13,381 44,314 30 51,635
Ohio State Big Ten 39 31 515,440 16,627 60,509 30 59,528
Penn State Big Ten 28 23 579,778 25,208 63,133 30 62,884
Purdue Big Ten 38 35 430,257 12,293 50,795 30 47,044
Tennessee SEC 31 27 500,731 18,546 92,131 30 55,920
Texas SEC 41 42 548,088 13,050 49,964 30 66,681
Utah Big 12 43 34 749,922 22,057 60,192 30 61,640
Virginia ACC 30 22 858,833 39,038 75,988 30 84,446
West Virginia Big 12 34 29 419,279 14,458 52,200 30 47,967
Wisconsin Big Ten 32 27 623,852 23,106 63,378 30 63,268
Wyoming MW 24 26 409,957 15,768 42,337 30 42,888
Average - 28 teams 34 27 504,916 18,524 56,547 30 57,319
* These averages are for NCAA I public Universities for which we have compiled data from available reporting.
** Roster limits are not mandatory. However, schools opting not to be subject to roster limits must adhere to the prior (lower) scholarship limits. Participating schools must submit certified rosters to the College Sports Commission.
These are potential increases as athletic scholarship awards are optional. Schools can fully fund a sport, or award less than the maximum allowed. However, schools will be pressured to fully fund their sports for both competitive and equity considerations. Scholarships remain one of the primary recruiting tools, and programs offering less than the maximum awards allowed will likely be at a recruiting disadvantage to competitors who are fully funding their teams.
Additionally, one of the objectives of the new NCAA model is to provide enhanced monetary awards for those student-athletes in limited revenue sports. While Football and Men’s basketball will receive close to 90% of revenue sharing payments at most FBS schools, conversely, about 90% of the new potential scholarship awards will go to athletes in Women’s and Men’s sports other than football and basketball.
* 2026 potential awards are based on 2025 team roster sizes.
Number of US College Swimming & Diving teams:
NCAA I teams represent about 28% of all US College swimming & diving teams. There are also many opportunities to swim & dive at colleges in other divisions and athletic associations:
Intercollegiate Swimming &
Diving Programs 2025-26Total
MembersMen's
TeamsWomen's
Teams
NCAA I 365 136 200
NCAA II 299 77 98
NCAA III 429 232 250
NAIA 226 35 37
CCCAA 104 50 56
NJCAA 433 12 12
Totals 1,856 542 653
Questions on our data? Contact us at: NIL-NCAA.com
Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke, CPA Washington, DC 
