California College Sports Law Updates
THE LAW, AT-A-GLANCE:
NIL has been legal since 2021; deals over $600 must be disclosed via NILGo.
The House settlement authorized Rev-share; schools have ~$20.5M to distribute.
Agents have to register with the CA Secretary of State before representing athletes.
Athletes have a 90-day right to cancel any representation agreement.
No statutory cap on agent fees for NIL or rev-share — a known compliance gap.
Legislative Tracker
Last Updated: April 20, 2026
PENDING LEGISLATION: There is no pending legislation directly related to NIL/Rev-Share or agents representing college athletes. The last bill to address college athlete compensation was SB 906, which Governor Newsom vetoed.
MOST RECENT LEGISLATION:
Bill Status Summary Notes
SB 906
(Skinner)
Vetoed by Gov. Newsom
California NIL disclosure and reporting bill that would impose disclosure of NIL and Rev-Share deals.
Gov. Newsom vetoed it because the bill would have put additional obligations on schools and made them (and California) less competitive in the NIL/Rev-Share market.
Current Law
Current Law Overview
California law allows college and high school athletes to earn NIL compensation and obtain representation without losing eligibility, so long as their deals do not conflict with team contracts, while the House settlement adds new restrictions and obligations to those NIL agreements.
NIL
In California, the Fair Pay to Play Act (SB 206 and SB 26), allow college and high school athletes to earn compensation for their name, image, and likeness without losing eligibility.
Effective since September 1, 2021, the law prohibits schools from preventing athletes from obtaining representation or entering endorsement deals, provided they do not conflict with team contracts.
The House settlement places restrictions and obligations on NIL contracts.
NIL contracts must be for a valid business purpose, pay a fair market rate, and promote goods or services that are sold to the general public.
Any NIL deals valued at or above $600.00 must be reported to the College Sports Commission through the NILGo platform.
Key Compliance Obligation: Ensure your department has a clear pre-execution review process for all NIL contracts meeting or approaching the $600 reporting threshold. The obligation to report runs to the athlete, but compliance staff should have a system to flag those deals.
Rev-Share
The House settlement allows universities to pay student athletes directly for their participation in a sport.
Schools are permitted to budget $21.5 million towards paying student athletes.
Athletic directors and general managers have discretion to pay athletes different amounts.
Key Compliance Obligation: Rev-share agreements must be documented and structured separately from NIL contracts. Your compliance office should have a classification standard that determines whether a payment is triggered by deliverables (NIL) or by roster status and athletic participation (rev-share).
Agent Law
Agents representing college athletes in California are primarily governed by the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act (California Business and Professions Code § 18895 et seq.), which requires agents to register with the California Secretary of State, disclose information, and adhere to ethical conduct.
Key requirements include:
-
Registration: Agents must register with the California Secretary of State before representing any athlete, professional or amateur.
-
Bonding: Agents must maintain either a $100,000 surety bond or a $100,000 errors and omissions insurance policy.
-
Written contracts: Every representation agreement must be in writing and include a description of services and a schedule of fees.
-
Athlete cancellation right: Athletes have a 90-day right to cancel any representation agreement without penalty.
-
Disclosure: Agents must file current public disclosure information with the California Secretary of State.
Agents must also comply with the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA).
California has also adopted the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UAAA/RUAAA) framework. California does not currently cap agent fees by statute for NIL or rev-share representation, which is a concerning gap in the law.
Key Compliance Obligation: Verify that any agent or representative interacting with your athletes has complied with California's registration and bonding requirements before an athlete signs a representation agreement. A simple registration check with the California Secretary of State is a baseline step.
Pending Litigation
The following cases have been filed in California and federal courts and directly relate to an aspect of college sports, such as NIL, Rev-Share, agents, Title IX, the transfer portal, or eligibility.
California Court Cases
Currently, there are no active, pending cases in California state courts.
Federal Court Cases
Click, "Federal Updates" for a complete list of federal cases pending in various federal courts across the United States, along with updates on pending federal legislation.
Relevant Resources
1. California Legislative Information (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) — the official portal for tracking California bills, statutes, and legislative history, including SB 206 and SB 26.
2. California Secretary of State — Business Search (bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov) — use this to verify that any agent or representative is properly registered under the Miller-Ayala Act before an athlete signs a representation agreement.
3. California Business and Professions Code § 18895 et seq. — the full text of the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act, available through leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
4. SPARTA (Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act) — federal law governing agent conduct; full text available through congress.gov.
Workshops & Athlete Education
California's NIL and rev-share landscape is only useful to athletes if they understand it. Knowing the law is one thing but making sure your athletes know what to do before they sign a contract, hire a representative, or disclose a deal is another.
Hopkins Law offers live, in-person workshops delivered directly on your campus, covering three areas that directly affect your program's compliance exposure:
-
Before You Sign — NIL and rev-share contract basics, including payment terms, exclusivity, usage rights, and buyout language.
-
Agents & the Unregulated Marketplace — how to evaluate agents, advisors, and third parties, including red flags in fee structures, conflicts of interest, and exclusivity clauses.
-
Staying Eligible — documentation and disclosure habits, compliance obligations under the House settlement, and NIL inducement issues that create avoidable violations.
Each workshop runs 60 to 90 minutes, is customizable to your sport or compliance situation, and includes a Q&A. A regional discount applies to schools in California, Oregon, and Nevada.
Request dates or get more information by clicking the "Workshop" button below, or email chop@hlosportslaw.com for an immediate response.