Revenue sharing: What is it and what does it mean for BYU sports?

With the sports season coming to a close this summer, changes are coming that will define this new era of collegiate athletics.

Revenue sharing is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, pending U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken's final approval.

But what exactly does revenue sharing mean?

In a settlement between the House of Representatives and the NCAA, schools will now share a portion of their athletic department's revenue with student-athletes, starting with the 2025-26 athletic season.

This new payment structure supplements scholarship and NIL (name, image, and likeness) compensation, as schools can now allocate up to $20.5 million a year across all sports.

New roster limits will be implemented this upcoming year for each sport due to the revised budgets under revenue sharing.

Each sport will see an increase in scholarship limits but will also have a roster limit that cannot be exceeded. This will eliminate walk-on opportunities for student-athletes.

Here are some of the new scholarship and roster limits that impact the major sports at BYU:

Football: previously 85, now 105
Men's & Women's basketball: previously 13, now 15
Baseball: previously 11. 7, now 34
Men's track & field: previously 12. 6, now 45
Women's track: previously 18, now 45
Men's & Women's cross country: previously 5 and 6, now 17

To prepare for these changes, the state of Utah passed a bill (HB 479) to establish a framework for universities in Utah to compensate their athletes.

The bill clearly states that student-athletes are not employees of the university, meaning that schools are not required to provide benefits such as health care.

It also creates a framework for Utah universities to remain competitive regardless of the outcome of the House vs. NCAA settlement.

This bill was signed by Governor Spencer Cox on Mar. 27 and will take effect on May 7, 2025.

Despite all these upcoming changes, it's evident that BYU Athletics' mission has not shifted. Commissioner of the Church Educational System, Elder Clark G. Gilbert's recent post on X reaffirmed the values of the athletic program amid all the changes, as well as the success at BYU.

Change seems to be the only constant in collegiate athletics, but it's clear that BYU is ready for the next step and has demonstrated over the past year that the Cougars' teams can thrive in Provo.