On July 1, 2021, the NCAA implemented an interim policy that enabled student athletes to earn money via their name, image and likeness. This move led to fans around the country turning eyes to how the landscapes of college football and basketball may change, but hockey was largely ignored.
That ignorance has continued with the House v. NCAA proposed settlement centered around revenue sharing. If approved, Division I schools are officially permitted to share athletic department earnings with student athletes starting in the 2025-26 academic year.
This move favors Big Ten teams — specifically in college hockey. Coveted puck programs such as Boston College, Denver and Boston University need to rely on their historic names and image to recruit high-end talent, while Big Ten programs can now sign off on a check to lure a top-tier prospect its way.
As big-time football and basketball universities such as Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State funnel in a plethora of NIL and revenue due to consistent success, that money can be allocated into other sports, and it’s already been rumored to find its way onto the ice.
Just last week, the Nittany Lions were speculated to be getting aggressive with NIL packages to Canadian Hockey League (CHL) recruits. This was headlined by a report offering a deal north of $250,000 to projected top six 2025 NHL entry draft pick and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) winger Porter Martone, according to Philadelphia Flyers beat writer Will James.
With Gabriel Foley, another NHL reporter, confirming hearing a dollar figure near the 250,000 mark mentioned by James, that only means one thing: the Big Ten might take over college hockey.
The effects of NIL
NIL has quickly taken center stage in NCAA Division I hockey following a monumental rule change made in early Nov. 2024 allowing CHL athletes to sign with NCAA teams.
Some of the best hockey players and prospects in the world play in the CHL, but prior to the new precedent announced several months ago, they were not allowed to step foot in the NCAA.
To put it into context, 14 CHL players were selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL entry draft, compared to just three collegiate hockey players hearing their names called.
These athletes who were committed to play in the CHL were deemed professionals and barred from the NCAA due to its amateurism rules, which were in part due to them signing NHL entry-level contracts.
With eligibility for the NHL draft requiring participants to be between the ages 18-20, many prospects are selected prior to their decision on whether to play in the CHL or the NCAA. This rule change now allows top-tier prospects who currently play in the CHL to transition to college puck, and a majority of them will be lured over with NIL money.
As schools like Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota have dominated college hockey for the past 77 years, the loads of NIL money they have available will only make them more daunting for the rest of the country.
With the initial revenue sharing cap per school sitting tentatively at around $20.5 million per year, that opens many doors for Big Ten programs. Minnesota’s men’s hockey team reportedly accounts for 5.1% of athletic department revenue, meaning it has roughly $1,054,020 to spend on players. This is somewhat the case for Penn State, which is estimated to have approximately $394,839 available, ranking fourth-most among NCAA programs.
Is this good for college hockey?
While many immediately look at the possibility of Big Ten teams taking over the sport and deem it as a negative, there is a different perspective to take on this situation — NIL will grow NCAA hockey.
Considering CHL players are not paid a salary but receive stipends and a countless amount of benefits, NIL and revenue sharing can handsomely compensate these athletes and draw an influx of them to college hockey. The substantial increase in talent, even if a majority of it lies in the Big Ten, will increase ratings and grow the sport exponentially.
With top-tier NHL prospects committing to the NCAA instead of the CHL, it will bring an entire new crowd to the sport. Additionally, as more elite talent comes and goes through the NCAA, more television package deals with well-known networks will follow, increasing the revenue for college hockey and putting it on the map.
One of the major NIL contributors gaining traction has been Penn State. After its Frozen Four run last season, more highly-touted athletes have been rumored to join Hockey Valley. This began just four days following the Nittany Lions’ loss to Boston University with the addition of goaltender and former fifth-round NHL draft pick Kevin Reidler.
Weeks later, another domino fell for the blue and white. Penn State received a commitment from Luke Misa, a top-line center previously on the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL. Since his commitment, premier NHL prospects have been reported as possibilities, with the most notable being Martone and Luke Misa’s brother, Michael Misa.
Whether the Nittany Lions land NHL-caliber talent or not, they now maintain the resources to attract top players away from some of the most storied college hockey programs.
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