International Student-Athletes and Athlete Pay: What You Need to Know
The landscape of college athlete compensation is evolving rapidly. U.S. college athletes now have two major avenues to earn income: Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities and direct athlete revenue-sharing through their schools. For international student-athletes, however, these financial opportunities remain complicated by immigration rules and a lack of federal guidance.
What Is NIL and Revenue Sharing?
NIL Earnings: Payments to student-athletes by third parties (such as brands or sponsors) for endorsements, social media promotions, or licensing their image. NIL deals are independent of university athletic departments – athletes can personally monetize their brand.
Direct Revenue Sharing: As part of the 2025 House v. NCAA settlement, Division I schools (especially Power Five conferences) can now pay athletes directly from athletic department revenues (from media rights, ticket sales, etc.), up to $20.5 million per year per school in 2025, increasing annually. Athletes receive these payments in addition to NIL earnings and scholarships.
Athletes can earn from both systems simultaneously, combining personal NIL income with guaranteed revenue shares from their athletic departments.
International Student-Athletes: Navigating Compliance Challenges
Most international college athletes are in the U.S. on F-1 student visas, which impose strict limitations on employment:
Full-time enrollment is required
Off-campus employment is mostly prohibited unless it directly relates to their studies
Paid activities, including NIL or revenue sharing, may be classified as “employment” and risk visa status
Violating these rules by earning unauthorized income can result in a visa termination and require the athlete to leave the U.S. within 30 days.
NIL Legal Workarounds
International athletes may still participate in NIL activities through limited, legally compliant options such as:
Passive income: Royalties or licensing fees (i.e. jersey sales)
Overseas work: Doing NIL activities while abroad, such as during team trips or breaks
Alternate visas: Some elite athletes have obtained O-1A or P-1A visas, though these are rare and difficult to secure
The House Settlement Complication
The revenue-sharing model creates further problems for international athletes because:
The money comes directly from the school, not a third party
It’s tied to athletic performance, not licensing or image rights
It’s more likely to be classified as “active” income, which is restricted under F-1 visa rules
As of October 2025, there’s no official federal guidance (from DHS or USCIS) on whether these payments are permitted. Immigration lawyers disagree, believing any direct payment from a school will violate F-1 rules. Others think carefully structured payments could count as licensing income and still be allowed. Until there is official guidance, international athletes and universities are left in a gray area.
How Christine Brown & Partners Supports International Student-Athletes
Christine Brown & Partners provides specialized legal guidance for student-athlete pay issues:
Individualized guidance on structuring NIL opportunities compliant with immigration status.
Navigating the complexities of NCAA revenue-sharing models for international athletes.
Counseling athletes for regulatory compliance and maximizing income benefits without risking visa status.
Contact us to discuss your situation or to arrange a compliance check for your payment activities.
