KU Jayhawks and K-State Wildcats poised to compete in new era of revenue sharing
Revenue sharing is coming to college sports.
The “amateur” model that fans have known since the beginning of bowls and the first NCAA Tournament is about to become a thing of the past, now that the NCAA House settlement has been approved. Starting in July, schools across the nation will be permitted to start directly paying their student-athletes from a fund of up to $20.5 million per year, per university.
What does that mean for the future of K-State football, KU basketball and every other prominent college sports team in the region?
It’s hard to say.
For now, though, athletic leaders in the Sunflower State are cautiously optimistic about what lies ahead.
“If it all falls into place like we’re planning, I think it’s a very good thing,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said in a February interview. “It’s a lot of money, clearly, but at least it gets everybody back on a more even playing field.”
NIL deals may look different next year
Taylor is hopeful that revenue sharing will have a positive influence on the Big 12 and the rest of college sports. But that doesn’t mean he has no concerns.
The House settlement is supposed to serve as a salary cap for college teams. Every athletic department is allowed to disperse approximately $20.5 million to its student-athletes in any way that it sees fit. But no more.
Many of the massive NIL deals, which have reportedly ballooned to $4 million for certain players, may no longer be possible with revenue sharing. Most schools are expected to cap a football team’s budget around $15 million (or 75% of the $20.5 million total), with another $4 million (or 20%) going to men’s basketball and all other sports divvying up smaller amounts.
Will boosters play along?
After the House settlement goes into effect, all outside NIL deals valued at more than $600 will need to be approved. The idea is that legitimate endorsements, like K-State quarterback Avery Johnson appearing in car commercials for Long McArthur in exchange for fancy vehicles, will be permitted.
But a donor will no longer be allowed to pay his favorite running back $1 million simply for being on his favorite team’s roster.
At least, that is how it is supposed to work.
Jayhawks and Wildcats not afraid of change
It all sounds good. But will those rules be enforced?
And what happens if schools try to circumvent the rules, like the old days of bag men and influential shoe companies?
“If the third-party stuff gets managed like they say it’s going to be managed,” Taylor said, “and there’s a pretty good compliance into it to make sure everybody stays within the cap, then it should be good.”
Kansas athletic director Travis Goff is also a supporter of the new system.
He recently took to social media to blast an article filled with quotes from anonymous sources who shared pessimistic opinions.
“Cut the crap,” Goff wrote. “We griped about the old world and some are throwing their hands up before we even get started in this next chapter. This settlement is strong. The plan is solid. Hope we can all do our part and give it its best chance.”
Goff went on to say that “Kansas is excited and optimistic about the future of college athletics.”
Excited or not, both the Jayhawks and the Wildcats will face new challenges as the realm of college sports enters a new era.
Adding $20.5 million to the budget
The biggest challenge of all: adding $20.5 million to their athletic budgets.
Here’s another: distributing $20.5 million to student-athletes in a way that allows a school to recruit top talent and win games.
Most athletic departments will tackle the first issue via fundraising. In the past, schools have needed extra money from boosters to build lavish facilities and pay coaches. Now, perhaps much of that money will go directly to the players.
The Jayhawks and the Wildcats are ready to spend the full amount.
At K-State, school officials are exploring selling the naming rights to Bramlage Coliseum. Taylor also launched a three-part video campaign earlier this year in an attempt to educate EMAW nation about the monetary changes that are coming to campus.
At KU, men’s basketball coach Bill Self has committed to play in a NIL-based tournament in Las Vegas (the Players Era Championship) next season. Each team in the event will receive at least $1 million in NIL money for participating.
Other schools, such as Iowa State, have suggested that they may need to rely on subsidies from their student body to help fund a larger athletic budget.
Higher ticket prices and more expensive concession items also seem likely.
It will also be interesting to see if a school like Wichita State, without a football team to support, will find ways to spend more on basketball than its power-conference neighbors.
Football will always be king in Manhattan. But basketball is the main sport in Lawrence. Will the Jayhawks allocate more money than others to hoops?
It’s also possible that general managers could become as important as coordinators in football or top assistant coaches in basketball. That is certainly the case in pro sports.
Much change is on the way.
Whatever happens, KU and K-State are entering this new era with their metaphorical eyes wide open.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "KU Jayhawks and K-State Wildcats poised to compete in new era of revenue sharing."