Texas A&M Student Athletes NIL Earnings Revealed

College athletics has been changed forever. The days of amateurism in college sports are officially in the rear-view mirror.

The age-old debate of whether college athletes should receive compensation or not has been settled, and the results are rising to the surface. 

In a recent open records request made by KBTX, Texas A&M athletes were revealed to have banked $50.5 million in NIL deals from July 2, 2024, to July 1, 2025.

Where is the NIL Era Heading?

The jump from 2023-24 to 2024-25 was more than $31 million. The Aggies’ total compensation has more than doubled every year since the introduction of the NIL era in 2021. 

While the Aggies brought in a ton of money for themselves, who it is going to is very lopsided. $48.3 million went to the Fightin’ Farmers’ male athletes, whereas a mere $2.2 million was brought in by the female athletes. The men saw an increase of $29.4 million, or 156 percent, over the past year, while the women saw a 317 percent increase over the same time frame, starting to close the gap.

After the House Settlement was passed in June, the NCAA was ordered to pay former athletes for the organization’s violation of the Sherman Antitrust Laws and introduced a revenue-sharing agreement with its member schools. Each school will now lose $20.5 million in revenue that will be dispersed among their players. 

Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts announced the university’s plan to comply with the new ruling shortly after the decision was announced. The university is set to distribute $18 million across football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball to be distributed to the athletes, on top of the NIL revenue they bring in. 

With the new costs, Alberts also announced a savings plan that includes budget cuts to sports teams, workforce “right-sizing” and decreased variable expenses tied to the numner of student athletes.

“... You first put as the North Star: ‘What is in the best long-term interest of Texas A&M and Texas A&M athletics?’ Period," Alberts said in June. "This is not 'What's in the best interest of Trev Alberts or any other individual or organization.' It has to be, ‘This is about Texas A&M.'"

Once the $18 million is distributed to the Aggies, they will really be rolling in the dough, especially if their NIL revenue continues to double and triple like it has over the past four years.