The range
Forget the seven-figure headlines. Four out of five NIL dollars go to football and men's basketball, the average third-party deal in 2026 is about $6,200, most pay under $1,000 and 84% are one-time. For nearly every athlete the market is local and small, and the useful question is not "what am I worth" but "what does this piece of work pay for someone like me".
For athletes with 1,000 to 500,000 followers, published 2026 data puts that between $150 and $5,000 a post. That is a wide range on purpose. The next two sections are how it narrows.
Rates by format
| The work | Typical range | Typical engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram story series, such as an equipment review | $150 to $800 | 3 to 5% |
| X thread on game day | $100 to $500 | 2 to 4% |
| Instagram carousel, such as a game-day outfit | $300 to $2,000 | 5 to 8% |
| TikTok training video | $400 to $2,500 | 6 to 10% |
| TikTok highlight reaction or breakdown | $500 to $3,000 | 7 to 12% |
| Instagram reel co-authored with the brand | $600 to $4,000 | 8 to 15% |
In-person work is priced differently: an appearance is usually quoted by the hour or the event, and a signing by the hour or the item. A single story is not a feed post; a two-hour appearance is not a signing.
The five things that set a rate
- Engagement. Engagement rate is likes and comments divided by followers. A gymnast with 10,000 active fans often out-earns a quarterback with 100,000 silent ones, because a business is buying attention.
- Sport. Football and men's basketball take most of the money. Other sports earn on audience and fit: a swimmer for a swim brand, a runner for a shoe store.
- Level. A starter at a major program prices above a reserve; the same rate data shows work with reserves priced as much as 60% lower.
- Market. The same data shows athletes at top programs and in large markets priced 40 to 50% higher. A small-town athlete can be the only one a local business would ever ask.
- What the deal asks for. One post or six. A week or a year. Your account only, or the brand's ads too.
What moves a price up
| The ask | What published data shows | Why |
|---|---|---|
| In season | 2 to 3 times the off-season rate | Attention on the athlete peaks |
| Paid-ad usage rights | About 20 to 30% more | The business runs the content as its own advertising |
| Uniform or school marks | Can double or triple the cost | The school's permission and licence are a separate cost. High school rules bar school marks altogether |
| Exclusivity | Priced case by case | It closes off other deals in the category for the term |
The reverse holds too. Six months of usage is not "in perpetuity", and a rate quoted for one does not cover the other. The contracts page explains each of those terms.
Fair market value and NIL Go
At NCAA Division I a rate also has to pass a review. Third-party deals of $600 or more go through NIL Go, the clearinghouse the College Sports Commission runs with Deloitte, which checks two things: that the deal has a valid business purpose, and that the pay falls within a reasonable range of compensation for the work. The factors it names are the deal's deliverables, the athlete's athletic performance and social media reach, the local market, and the reach of the school and program. The full method has not been published.
Since January 2026 NIL Go has cleared 16,874 deals worth $228 million and denied 1,288 worth $75 million. A denied deal can be restructured and resubmitted.
A rate card
Rates are usually set per deliverable, not per deal. A useful rate card has a range for each kind of work, and it moves as the athlete's numbers move:
- A feed post and a story, priced separately.
- A short video, which usually prices highest of the three.
- An appearance, by the hour or the event.
- A signing, by the hour or the item.
- Add-ons: paid-ad usage, exclusivity, a longer term.
Athletes who had done deals ranked "simple requirements" above "fair compensation" when describing their best one, and 47% wished they had done fewer deals. The low end of any range is still the athlete's to refuse.
How Leave fits
In Leave this is the Your rate screen: what athletes with similar reach charge per deliverable, built from your public record and public rate data, with your own past deals lined up against it. Every deal thread in your Web carries a rate range for that piece of work. Ask "Hey Leave, what do stories pay at my reach?" It is information, not a promise or an appraisal. Leave does not set your price or negotiate it. You decide, you send.
Questions athletes ask about NIL rates
How much is my NIL worth?
It depends on five things: your engagement rate, your sport, your level, the size of your market and what the deal asks for. Athletes with 1,000 to 500,000 followers typically charge $150 to $5,000 a post in 2026. The average third-party deal is about $6,200, but most deals pay under $1,000.
How much do athletes charge per Instagram post?
Published 2026 ranges for athletes with 1,000 to 500,000 followers run from about $150 to $800 for a series of stories, $300 to $2,000 for a feed carousel and $600 to $4,000 for a co-authored reel. Where an athlete lands depends on engagement, season, school and usage rights.
Do followers or engagement matter more?
Engagement usually matters more. Engagement rate is likes and comments divided by followers. An athlete with 10,000 followers who respond often out-earns one with 100,000 who do not, because a business is paying for attention, not for a number.
What is fair market value for an NIL deal?
At NCAA Division I, third-party deals of $600 or more are reviewed by NIL Go, which checks that the pay falls within a reasonable range of compensation for the work. The factors it names include the deliverables, the athlete's performance and social media reach, the local market and the reach of the school and program. The full method is not public.
Why do athletes charge more for usage rights?
A post on your own account is one thing; the right for a business to run that content as its own paid advertising is a second thing. Published 2026 rate data puts that add-on at roughly 20 to 30% of the fee.
Is there an NIL calculator?
Several sites publish estimates from follower counts. Leave's Your rate screen shows what athletes with similar reach charge per deliverable, from your public record and public rate data, next to your own past deals. It is information, not a promise or an appraisal.
Does Leave set my price or negotiate it?
No. Leave is software, not an agent. It shows rate ranges and what similar work pays. The athlete decides the price and sends it.
Be your own agent. Leave.