The House v. NCAA court ruling fundamentally reshaped the financial model of college athletics by removing long-standing restrictions on how institutions can support student-athletes. As a result, SMU Athletics is now permitted to expand its investment in student-athletes through increased scholarships, direct revenue sharing, and enhanced support for NIL advancement. The Student-Athlete Benefit Fund allows donors to support these three critical areas.
In response to newly permitted increases in team scholarship limits, SMU Athletics is expanding scholarship opportunities across its programs. Philanthropic support to the SMU Student-Athlete Benefit Fund helps support additional scholarship commitments, ensuring access, stability, and educational opportunity for current and future Mustangs.
Following the House v. NCAA settlement, SMU Athletics is now permitted to provide direct revenue-sharing payments to student-athletes. Donor support plays a vital role in sustaining a competitive, compliant, and impactful revenue-sharing model that recognizes student-athletes as partners in SMU Athletics’ success.
Student-athletes are now able to engage in legitimate, third-party name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities tied to their personal brands. Through the newly launched Mustang Partners, SMU has invested in additional personnel and resources dedicated to commercial NIL strategy, brand partnerships, trademark and licensing, and deal facilitation. These efforts empower student-athletes to responsibly maximize their personal brands while representing SMU.
SMU Athletics has entered a new era, distinguished by excellence in academics and competition. Your investment supports SMU Athletics to powerfully contend in the ACC and compete effectively in whatever the future brings.
Donors who support SMU's student-athletes make an immediate impact on the college experience, while creating life-changing opportunities for future success. By investing in the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund, you strengthen our ability to compete for years to come.
Damon Evans, SMU Director of Athletics
Since 2013, SMU has invested over $400 million in championship facilities, dynamic programming and student-athlete support. Incredible donor support has propelled Mustang Athletics to unprecedented success in the ACC and brought national attention to SMU.
By making gifts to the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund, you provide crucial resources to enhance our competitiveness as we enter the new world of revenue sharing. Accordingly, the Mustang Club awards loyalty points for all contributions to SMU Athletics, including the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund.
For more information about opportunities to strengthen SMU Athletics through gifts that support the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund, please contact Joshua Whittenburg, associate athletics director for development, at jwhittenburg@smu.edu or 214-768-3315.
The House v. NCAA settlement has eliminated the NCAA’s previous sport-specific scholarship limits and replaced them with roster size limits for schools that opt into the agreement, effective July 1, 2025. This means participating schools can offer an unlimited number of scholarships (full or partial) to any athlete as long as they are within the sport's roster cap.
Beginning July 1, 2025, the NCAA allows schools to share a portion of their athletics revenue – up to $20.5 million in the 2025-2026 fiscal year – directly with student-athletes to alleviate financial pressures and provide a share of the income the student-athletes help generate. Because the vast majority of universities don’t generate sufficient revenue from athletics alone, schools can raise funds to reach the $20.5 million allotment for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The permitted amount is expected to increase annually by 4%.
Revenue sharing and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) are distinct yet interconnected. Revenue sharing, stemming from the House v. NCAA settlement, allows athletic departments to directly pay student-athletes a portion of their revenue. NIL, on the other hand, enables athletes to monetize their personal brand through endorsements and sponsorships. While both involve athlete compensation, revenue sharing is school-driven and controlled, while NIL often involves student-athletes partnering with businesses to promote brands.
The House Settlement allows SMU Athletics to expand its investment in student-athletes through increased scholarships, revenue sharing, and enhanced support for NIL advancement. This additional commitment will require nearly $25 million in new annual funding. Only institutions that fully adapt to this new intercollegiate athletics landscape will be able to compete and support their student-athletes at the highest level. To remain nationally competitive and continue performing at the top of the ACC, gifts to the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund are essential to positioning SMU Athletics for success.
Gifts to the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund may be tax-deductible. Please consult your tax attorney or advisor to determine deductibility.