AROUND NIL | Penn basketball’s NIL 'collective' raises the bar for Ivy League earnings
- Golf NIL
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Nov. 7, 2025—The College Sports Commission announced Thursday that its NIL Go clearinghouse has verified 12,175 third-party name, image, and likeness deals worth $87.5 million since going live in June, while rejecting fewer than 400 proposals. The platform, which screens any deal exceeding $600 to confirm fair market value, has rapidly scaled its efficiency. More than half of all submissions are now approved within 24 hours, and nearly three-quarters are finalized within a week.
October marked the system’s most active month yet, clearing more than 3,300 deals totaling $24.95 million, up 21% in speed compared to September. The average approved deal clocks in at $7,186, a slight dip driven by a recent surge in lower-value video game agreements. Rejected deals, averaging $25,400, typically failed to show legitimate business intent or were flagged for warehousing athlete rights without activation.
So far, 33,247 athletes and 1,251 programs have registered with NIL Go, signaling rapid adoption of the clearinghouse model aimed at adding transparency and accountability to collegiate athlete compensation.
Penn basketball is embracing NIL through a new collective and paid internship model - a first for the Ivy League | Scott Coleman/ZUMA Press Wire
Nov. 8, 2025—Penn men’s basketball is breaking new ground in the Ivy League NIL landscape. The team has rolled out its first official channel, a “collective,” allowing individuals to contribute funds to players through truly legitimate NIL deals at fair market value, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Coach Fran McCaffery wants alumni contributing to Penn’s NIL program to think beyond writing checks. Instead, he’s encouraging them to connect athletes with paid internships—real jobs that offer a chance to work, learn, and determine which industries spark their interest. Around 30 supporters have stepped up so far, helping players gain practical experience and a window into life outside basketball.
This setup keeps athletes in the mix for real-world experience, allowing them to earn while navigating Ivy League standards and the pressure that comes with playing big-time basketball.
Nov. 8, 2025—Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada is learning the hard way how fast an NIL moment can spiral. A private video he sent to a critic—flashing stacks of cash and telling the fan to “go get you some money”—surfaced online, pulling in more than 1.5 million views and a wave of backlash.
He apologized quickly, admitting his emotions got the better of him. But the optics linger. Kentucky reportedly paid the seventh-year transfer from Incarnate Word $1.25 million in NIL money. After just two games and fewer than half his passes completed, the former starter was benched.
A high-dollar veteran out-earning active contributors while fan patience thins is exactly the kind of headline that fuels NIL-era discomfort. Fair or not, Calzada’s misstep serves as another reminder that, despite NIL bringing opportunity, it still remains front and center for scrutiny.
