Do college sports booster groups count as businesses? More than $1 billion in athlete pay depends on the answer. https://t.co/BhxgG0CwmY ...

ATLANTA, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- University of Tennessee Athletics, the Vol Network, and Gray Media announced today a first of its kind agreement with WVLT in Knoxville, WSMV in Nashville, and WMC in Memphis naming them as the Official Television Stations of the Tennessee Volunteers. This game-changing partnership will deliver more television coverage of Tennessee Athletics than ever before to local audiences. This partnership will cover the three largest markets in Tennessee through Gray’s newly ...

College Sports Compensation Policy - 大学体育新时代开启，高校现在可以直接给学生运动员报酬 [1] - 头部大学体育项目，特别是橄榄球和篮球，可能会为运动员支付高达 2050 万美元/年的费用 [3] - 2050 万美元的分配由学校自行决定，但预计大部分将流向橄榄球项目 [3] - 学校不一定非要花完这笔钱，但为了保持竞争力，预计会花完 [4] Competitive Landscape and Resource Allocation - 新规旨在拉平主要学校之间的竞争环境，结束无限制的 NIL 模式 [6] - 学校需要在不同体育项目之间进行资源分配，这会是一个复杂的决策过程 [5][8] - 捐助者的资金将流向高校，高校再将资金分配给运动员 [14] - 规模较小的学校可能会继续依赖 NIL 集体来获取额外资金 [14] NIL and Clearing House - NIL 交易现在需要通过一个审核机构，该机构将评估交易的公平性 [8][11] - 审核机构旨在防止学校通过虚假的 NIL 交易规避 2050 万美元的上限 [11] - 审核机构可能会严格审查 NIL 交易，也可能只是形式上的批准 [9][10] - 行业希望转向公司与运动员之间的直接代言交易 [12][13]

Core Insights - PayPal has entered multi-year agreements with the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences to modernize the distribution of institutional payments to student-athletes through a new revenue-sharing model [1][2][3] - The initiative aims to provide a secure, efficient, and transparent method for athletic departments to dispense payments, enhancing the financial experience for student-athletes [1][4] - Venmo will play a significant role in campus life, expanding its commerce capabilities and becoming a preferred payment partner for tuition payments at select schools [4][5][6] Company Initiatives - PayPal will facilitate institutional payments to student-athletes, allowing them to access funds through their PayPal wallets for various purchases, including event tickets and textbooks [1][3] - Venmo is enhancing its presence on college campuses by sponsoring major athletic events and enabling real-world campus spending, including at bookstores and for ticketing [5][8] - The first phase of the rollout for institutional payments is expected to begin in summer 2025, with tuition payments through PayPal anticipated to launch in early 2026 [9] Market Impact - The partnerships with the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences are expected to revolutionize college sports by allowing direct revenue sharing with student-athletes [2][4] - Venmo's user base, with over 64 million monthly accounts in the U.S., positions it well to become integral to student financial transactions on campuses [7] - The collaboration is set to empower student-athletes and enhance their financial management through a trusted platform they are already familiar with [4][6]