In the wake of the House v. NCAA Settlement, the College Sports Commission (“CSC”) was created by the power conferences to oversee the implementation and enforcement of new rules surrounding revenue sharing and NIL[1]. The CSC is responsible for enforcing the revenue-sharing cap and regulating any outside NIL deals to ensure these deals reflect fair market value and legitimate business purposes[2]. As part of its mission to regulate NIL deals, the CSC hired Deloitte to build an online platform called NIL Go[3]. This platform is used by college athletes around the country to comply with the new rules regarding mandatory reporting of third party NIL deals worth $600 or more[4].
Earlier this month, the CSC said that it had overstated the amount of NIL deals it had cleared by more than $40 million in its most recent report[5]. The CSC had originally reported 8,359 NIL deals as being cleared, with an estimated value of $79.8 million[6]. The original report mistakenly categorized about 2,000 deals that were worth around $36 million as those being already approved, but these deals were still making their way through the evaluation process[7]. The new and correct data that the CSC released said that only 6,090 NIL deals had been cleared, with a total estimated value of $35.42 million[8]. The previous reported value of $79.8 million dollars is equal to the total amount of all deals that were currently in the NIL Go system at the time CSC released the original report, including those deals that were still pending[9].
The CSC blamed a clerical error in data that had been provided by Deloitte. Deloitte took full accountability for the reporting error, stating that it had inaccurately mislabeled two data points[10]. There has been much criticism of the CSC and the reporting procedures that have been put into place, with some labeling the system as slow moving and lacking in transparency. The CSC has acknowledged the frustration in the length of time it takes to clear NIL deals, but said that most deals are being cleared within a week of submission, and it will continue to release NIL figures periodically in an effort for more transparency[11]. The CSC is undertaking something completely new to the world of college sports, and while it is still a work in progress, the process will hopefully become more accurate and efficient as time goes on.
[1] Bernard G. Dennis III, Jason S. Kaner, A New Era begins: NCAA Amateurism Is Out as Direct Athlete Compensation + College Sports Commission Enter the Arena, The National Law Review (June 28, 2025).
[2] Ralph D. Russo, Deloitte ‘clerical error’ left to incorrect NIL deal data, College Sports Commission says, The Athletic (September 7, 2025).
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Eddie Pells, College Sports Commission reveals it mistakenly overstated worth of approved NIL deals by $40M-plus, AP News (September 6, 2025).
[6] Russo, supra note 2.
[7] Id.
[8] Pells, supra note 5.
[9] Id.
[10] Russo, supra note 2.
[11] Pells, supra note 5.
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