Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of California, Berkeley, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of California, Berkeley, its conference, the state of California and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 21, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at Cal
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Cal publishes its NIL rules on Golden, the Cal Athletics NIL program page (its address is dated 2023-07-13). The page says "Cal Athletics has established an NIL Policy" meant as general guidance and calls it "a working document that may be adapted." No separate dated policy document is published on the pages read. The page covers reporting, booster and collective rules, international students, professional representation, Cal marks and team-contract conflicts, and still describes SB 206 as taking effect July 1, 2021 | Cal Athletics, "Golden (NIL)" page (checked 2026-10-21) |
| How deals are disclosed | Golden says "UC Berkeley student-athletes must report all NIL activities to the Cal Athletics Compliance Office. This must be done via the INFLCR app," and that athletes "are encouraged to report potential NIL activities at least five calendar days prior to entering into an agreement and no later than three calendar days afterward." Deals made through the Golden Exchange marketplace "automate a disclosure to the INFLCR Verified Compliance Ledger." Under NCAA rules, third-party deals worth $600 or more are reported in NIL Go within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). California law requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates | Cal Athletics, Golden; NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| Banned categories | California's statute lists none (Educ. Code § 67456), and Golden publishes no list of barred products or industries. Golden says athletes "may not receive compensation or accept a promise of compensation for participation in their sport," may not receive NIL pay "that exceeds the fair market value," and may not sign an NIL contract with a provision that conflicts with a UC Berkeley or Cal Athletics contract; if Cal asserts a conflict, it discloses the conflicting provisions to the athlete or the athlete's legal representative. It also cautions F-1 and J-1 international athletes to contact the Berkeley International Office before accepting NIL pay | Cal Athletics, Golden |
| School marks and group licensing | Golden says "Cal prohibits the use of any of its symbols, insignia, or other identifying marks without express written approval," and that photos, non-competition film and other productions owned by Cal Athletics "cannot be used in NIL endorsements by non-institutional third parties without permission unless the entity is a licensee who secures approval through Co-Branding or Group Licensing purposes." It refers to UC Berkeley's brand protection office. Cal sells personalized NIL apparel through Fanatics, which Golden describes as carrying "the Cal Athletics brand and logo" for every Cal athlete. The terms athletes receive under that program are not published | Cal Athletics, Golden; UC Berkeley Brand Protection |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school. Chancellor Rich Lyons wrote on 2025-06-11 that Berkeley would participate, with a pool "made up of Athletics revenues, philanthropic funds, and some campus funds," paid to athletes "primarily" as compensation for NIL, and that he would match gifts up to $6 million for football, $1.5 million for men's basketball and $500,000 for women's basketball. Cal Athletics said on 2025-06-07 that the campus was finalizing a distribution model "guided by the revenue currently produced by Cal's athletic programs - primarily football, men's basketball and women's basketball." In a note dated 2025-09-10 the co-directors of athletics wrote that Cal had "unlocked the Chancellor's $8 million match for 2025-26 revenue sharing for football, men's basketball and women's basketball" and was "fully implementing the NCAA House settlement." Cal appears on the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 participating schools list. A Cal figure for 2026-27 is not published | UC Berkeley, Chancellor's message (2025-06-11); Cal Athletics, releases of 2025-06-07 and 2025-09-10; College Sports Commission, Revenue Sharing and Participating Schools pages |
| Collective or NIL group | Cal's NIL pages name no collective (checked 2026-10-21). Golden says collectives and people associated with them are boosters, that they "cannot be involved in the recruiting process," and that Cal staff and coaches "cannot be involved in any aspect of a collective's operation." In a release dated 2026-02-24 Cal announced that TheLinkU "will work with Cal Athletics to create California Link to ensure a more streamlined and collaborative NIL structure," with tools including contract management and compliance tracking; a release dated 2026-03-25 points businesses interested in NIL with Cal athletes to Cal's associate athletics director for NIL or to "memberships with TheLinkU." TheLinkU's Cal page sells monthly and annual memberships and says "All funds shall be used to engage student athletes in NIL opportunities" and "These funds are not tax deductible." Golden says all Cal athletes are registered on the Golden Exchange (INFLCR), and in a release dated 2025-11-13 Cal and Learfield announced an NIL content producer for the Cal Bears Sports Properties team | Cal Athletics, Golden and releases dated 2025-11-13, 2026-02-24 and 2026-03-25; TheLinkU, Cal page (2026-10-21) |
| Agents and representation | Golden says athletes "may obtain professional representation from persons licensed by the State of California (e.g., agents, lawyers, and other professionals) to advise them regarding the use of their NIL," and that "Professional representation must be reported to the compliance office." It names the California Secretary of State's Notary Public and Special Filings section (sfmail@sos.ca.gov) as the place to check whether an athlete agent is licensed. California law says representation comes from athlete agents licensed under the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act and attorneys licensed by the state (Educ. Code § 67456(c)) | Cal Athletics, Golden; /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | Cal Athletics Compliance and Student Services, 510-642-5249 (as listed in the Cal Athletics staff directory); Kat Brown, Associate Athletics Director, Compliance. Golden names Justin DiTolla, Associate Athletics Director, NIL (jditolla@berkeley.edu), for businesses and individuals interested in NIL at Cal | Cal Athletics, Staff Directory; Cal Athletics, Golden |
| State law | California Education Code § 67456 (Fair Pay to Play Act, operative 2021-09-01) bars schools, the NCAA and conferences from stopping college athletes from earning NIL pay, requires each deal to be disclosed to an official the school designates, and bars schools and associations from paying prospective athletes for NIL; it does not address school pay to enrolled athletes or banned categories. In force | /nil/college/california |
What is specific to Cal
Cal's NIL program, Golden, leans on the rest of UC Berkeley: its page lists a Berkeley Haas course on personal brand, a financial and business literacy course, and the NIL Clinic at Berkeley Law, which it says provides free legal services to college athletes across California who are considering or negotiating NIL deals. The decision to share revenue was made by the campus: Chancellor Rich Lyons wrote in June 2025 that he weighed input from the Academic Senate, that campus money in the pool had to be matched by new gifts made for that purpose, and that the match for each team followed the revenue it produces. He also wrote that after the Pac-12's collapse Cal was allocated an extra $25 million a year for three years, funded in part by "UCLA's sizable media contract from its new conference," and that the Regents' discussion tied any three-year extension to conditions. Cal Athletics is led by co-directors of athletics Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O'Neill, with football general manager Ron Rivera given full leadership of the football program, and Cal Athletics reported on 2026-07-29 that $30.6 million was raised in 2025-26 for its Fight for California initiative supporting revenue sharing.
How Leave fits
In Leave, every deal thread carries a rules summary for the athlete's state and level, and keeps the contract, its dates and the disclosure deadline that applies. It is a summary, not a ruling; the school and the law decide. Leave is software, not an agent, and takes 0% of any deal. You decide, you send.
Questions about NIL at Cal
Does Cal pay its athletes?
Yes. Chancellor Rich Lyons wrote on 2025-06-11 that Berkeley would join House settlement revenue sharing, paid mainly as compensation for NIL, and Cal Athletics wrote on 2025-10-24 that it could provide up to $20.5 million in 2025-26 through its revenue-sharing program. The College Sports Commission puts the 2026-27 cap at approximately $21.58 million per school. Cal has not published its 2026-27 figure or how it is divided beyond saying the split follows the revenue each program produces, mainly football and basketball.
How do Cal athletes report NIL deals?
Cal's Golden page says athletes report all NIL activities to the Cal Athletics Compliance Office through the INFLCR app, and encourages reporting a potential deal at least five calendar days before signing and no later than three calendar days after. NCAA rules separately require third-party deals worth $600 or more to be reported in NIL Go within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2).
What NIL collective works with Cal?
Cal's NIL pages name no collective as of 2026-10-21, and Cal's page says collectives are boosters that cannot take part in recruiting. In February 2026 Cal announced a partnership with TheLinkU to create California Link, and its March 2026 football fundraising release points businesses to memberships with TheLinkU or to Cal's associate athletics director for NIL. Cal also lists its athletes on the Golden Exchange marketplace on INFLCR.
Can Cal athletes get free legal help with NIL contracts?
Cal's Golden page says the NIL Clinic at Berkeley Law provides free legal services to college athletes across California who are considering or negotiating NIL deals, with Berkeley Law instructors and students giving counseling. The same page says all NIL activities are reported to the Cal Athletics Compliance Office and that "Professional representation must be reported to the compliance office."
Can Cal athletes use Cal logos in NIL deals?
Only with written approval. Cal's page says it prohibits use of its symbols, insignia or other identifying marks "without express written approval," and that Cal Athletics photos and film cannot be used in third-party NIL endorsements without permission unless the company is a licensee approved through co-branding or group licensing.
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