College Sports Commission’s NIL Go Clearinghouse: Approvals, Rejections, and Ongoing Scrutiny

The College Sports Commission (CSC) operates NIL Go, a third-party platform launched on June 11 2025 to vet every independent Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreement exceeding $600. The system determines whether a deal meets the settlement-defined “valid business purpose” and NCAA bylaws before payment can be released. Since its inception, CSC reports that NIL Go processes roughly 90 deals per day, with 41 % resolved within 24 hours.

ESPNThe Palm Beach PostCollege Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

The clearinghouse was created after the federal settlement that approved a revenue-share cap of $20.5 million for schools and established the CSC as the neutral arbiter of NIL contracts. The settlement also set a “range-of-compensation” figure now at $15,000 and mandated that multi-media-rights agreements remain subject to CSC review.

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• Total cleared since launch: $355.24 million across 34,195 deals (CSC data report, July 2026).

College Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

• Total rejected: $89.85 million across 1,812 deals.

College Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

• May 1 – June 30 2026 window: 8,298 submissions; 7,639 (? 89 %) cleared for $112.89 million, 659 denied for $33.68 million.

College Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

• Average values (61-day period May 1 – June 30 2025): approved deals averaged $14,792; rejected deals averaged $51,593.

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• Arbitration: Only two deals remain in arbitration, combined into a single matter.

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The CSC spokesperson explained that most rejections stem from (1) lack of a valid business purpose, (2) compensation not comparable to similarly situated athletes, or (3) missing activation of the athlete’s NIL. A CSC memo warned of “serious concerns about some of the deal terms being contemplated and the consequences of those deals for the parties involved.” CSC CEO Bryan Seeley said the recent arbitration win “shows the system is working as intended: a decision we made was challenged and a neutral arbitrator assessed the facts to inform a final decision.” The commission also noted that NIL Go “currently does not allow us to readily calculate” the exact percentage of deals resolved within a week.

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Several Power-Five programs—including Kentucky, Ohio State, and Utah—have reorganized athletic departments or created separate entities to facilitate school-related NIL opportunities. Critics argue these structures aim to bypass the $20.5 million rev-share cap, prompting heightened CSC scrutiny of “loophole” deals.

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• Cleared-deal totals: One CSC release cites $355 million cleared since launch, while another report states $228 million cleared from Jan. 1 2025 onward.

College Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

• Rejected-deal totals: Figures range from $74.91 million (Jan. 1-based report) to $89.85 million (overall report).

College Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

• Missing details: The CSC has not disclosed the identities of the athletes or schools involved in the two ongoing arbitration matters, limiting transparency.

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• “The most common reasons for a deal not to clear are (1) the deal is not for a valid business purpose as that term is defined by the settlement and NCAA bylaws, (2) the compensation is not at rates and terms commensurate with similarly situated student-athletes, and/or (3) the deal does not include direction activation of the student-athlete's NIL,” — CSC spokesperson

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• “Without prejudging any particular deal, the CSC has serious concerns about some of the deal terms being contemplated and the consequences of those deals for the parties involved,” — CSC memo

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• “This process shows the system is working as intended: a decision we made was challenged and a neutral arbitrator assessed the facts to inform a final decision,” — Bryan Seeley, CSC CEO

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• “NIL Go currently does not allow us to readily calculate this percentage.” — CSC

College Sports Commission, NIL Go have cleared $355 million in deals since launch

An arbitrator’s ruling in favor of the CSC against Nebraska athletes has already been upheld, while a separate case involving Georgia athletes was decided against the commission. The Nebraska decision is being appealed to Judge Claudia Wilken, who approved the original settlement. The CSC has indicated that future data releases will continue to track deal volumes, average values, and any additional arbitration outcomes.

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