BERKELEY – Federal District Judge Claudia Wilken formally approved the NCAA House Settlement on Friday, setting the stage for a new revenue-sharing model that will accelerate the profound changes underway in intercollegiate athletics.

The settlement allows institutions to provide up to an estimated $20.5 million for 2025-26 - with a 4% increase in subsequent years - to revenue-share with their student-athletes, which will be distributed primarily in the form of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) licensing agreements.

Cal is committed to providing the resources necessary - with the significant support of Cal's donors and alumni - to recruit and support world-class student-athletes in this new environment. The campus is finalizing a distribution model that will be guided by the revenue currently produced by Cal's athletic programs - primarily football, men's basketball and women's basketball. UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons aims to further motivate and inspire the Cal family through a match of contributions of up to $6 million for football, up to $1.5 million for men's basketball, and up to $500,000 for women's basketball from campus resources.

"As an important driver of alumni and donor engagement, which is so important to advancing our mission, Athletics contributes greatly to the strength of our community," Lyons said. "I'm thrilled that we will be joining together to invest in our student-athletes so they can thrive and excel in this new era of intercollegiate athletics."

In anticipation of the settlement, and to unlock the matching funds, in December 2024 Cal Athletics launched a fundraising initiative – Fight For California – which focuses on successfully navigating this new era of intercollegiate athletics and providing the resources needed to bolster competitive success. Cal Athletics is also committed to increasing all revenue streams, in addition to philanthropic support. 

"Friday's ruling marks the beginning of a new chapter of intercollegiate athletics," Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. "With the support of our entire Cal family, we look forward to supporting our student-athletes and continuing to give them a world-class experience while competing at the highest level."


As a part of Fight For California, tax-deductible gifts or pledges can be made immediately to provide coaches with the ability and flexibility to make timely and strategic investments in support of Cal student-athletes, as Cal implements the House settlement through NIL licensing agreements.  The sport-specific initiatives found here will continue to support head coaches' top priorities - they have shared there is no greater and more direct way to impact the program's/student-athletes' athletic success.

Cal continues to encourage the support of all sports programs to impact the entire student-athlete population and their pursuit of excellence. Support can be directed to the AD Excellence Circle or one of Cal's 30 sport programs with an annual gift or pledge or through an endowment.