Revenue sharing and NIL give wealthy college basketball programs a roster-building edge, while the transfer portal makes it harder for mid-majors to retain players. Each participating school’s initial revenue-sharing cap is about $20.5 million a year.
The House v. NCAA settlement introduced direct revenue-sharing payments in 2025, and schools need not divide them equally among sports or players. Power-conference athletic departments can also draw on media-rights revenue, donors and football income—resources many basketball-focused mid-majors lack. ESPN reported that collectives accounted for an estimated 81.6% of NIL compensation in October 2024; men’s basketball represented 21.2% of NIL compensation.
A 2025 CBS Sports report said a mid-major role player who had not reached the NCAA Tournament was being offered at least $1 million for the following season. The Associated Press reported that more than 1,200 men’s players entered the transfer portal within the first 11 hours of its 2026 opening. South Dakota State women’s coach Aaron Johnston said his program emphasizes development and attracts players who want to graduate and have a good basketball experience, rather than trying to match power-conference spending.
