Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by California Baptist University, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what California Baptist University, its conference, the state of California and the NCAA have published, linked under Sources and read on October 24, 2026. "Not published" means the school has not published it.
The rules at California Baptist
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | "NIL Policy", posted 2025-07-02 as "NIL Policy Updated 07.2025"; a version with small differences appears in the 2025-26 Student-Athlete Handbook. CBU Athletics "supports the right of a student-athlete to benefit from their NIL." NIL contracts may not conflict with CBU or CBU Athletics contracts, cut into class or team time, depend on enrolling at CBU, or pay for "athletic participation or achievement." Athletes are "expected to be familiar with the CBU Standard of Student Conduct and to adhere to its standards as it relates to use of NIL." The handbook adds that CBU "may provide assistance and services (e.g., identify specific name, image and likeness opportunities, facilitate deals between student-athletes and third parties)" and that "it is permissible for CBU to enter into NIL agreements with student-athletes effective July 1, 2025" | CBU Athletics, NIL Policy (07.2025) and 2025-26 Student-Athlete Handbook |
| How deals are disclosed | NCAA: third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go within five business days (Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2); CBU's policy restates that deals with the same payor are added together. CBU's own rule: before any payment or signing, athletes "are required to first submit the proposed NIL Contract to the CBU Athletics Compliance Office for approval" (a Request for Approval with payment terms, the payor, any agent or attorney and a draft contract; the handbook says it is "submitted via Influencer's NIL Disclosure feature"), and may not sign without that review or while a disclosed conflict is unresolved. A copy of the signed contract goes to compliance within four days. Incoming athletes disclose NIL pay received before CBU. California law requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates (Educ. Code § 67456(e)(2)) | CBU Athletics, NIL Policy (07.2025); NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| Banned categories | California's statute lists none. CBU's policy bars contracts "with products or services prohibited by other NCAA regulations (e.g. gambling; alcoholic, marijuana, or tobacco products; pornographic or adult publications or sites; drugs or drug paraphenalia)" and any contract or service "that negatively impact[s] or reflect[s] adversely on CBU or CBU Athletics", and says some lawful activities "conflict with CBU's missions and values" | CBU Athletics, NIL Policy (07.2025); /nil/college/california |
| School marks and group licensing | An athlete may not use "a uniform, trademark, logo, slogan, or mascot of CBU or of CBU Athletics" in NIL activity without advance written permission "through an agreement with CBU that grants specified use rights." Facility use needs advance written permission and may require location agreements, waivers and rental fees. CBU's athletics site links an "Official CBU NIL Store" at nil.store/cal-baptist. A group licensing program is not described | CBU Athletics, NIL Policy (07.2025) and site navigation |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission's 2026-27 participating-schools table lists California Baptist University, under "Western Athletic Conference", and puts the cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-24). CBU Athletics wrote on 2025-04-29 that it "has notified the NCAA of its intent to opt into the forthcoming House settlement", which "allows CBU to enhance benefits provided to student-athletes, including the potential to provide additional scholarships and secure potential name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities with student-athletes." No CBU revenue-sharing total or split by sport is published | College Sports Commission; CBU Athletics, opt-in release (2025-04-29) |
| Collective or NIL group | Not published. CBU's athletics site names no collective; it links the Official CBU NIL Store and membership and giving pages for the Lancer Athletics Association (LAA) | CBU Athletics, site navigation (read 2026-10-24) |
| Agents and representation | CBU's policy says athletes "may only secure professional and/or legal representation in connection with their NIL activities by an athlete agent or attorney licensed by the State of California", for NIL only and "not for purposes of negotiating future professional athletic contracts"; no CBU employee may arrange for or serve as a provider. The compliance page posts a Player-Agent Registration Form for "the California Baptist University Player-Agent Program" and athlete-agent disclosure statements (2020). State law: § 67456(c)(2) says representation must come from persons licensed by the state, with athlete agents under the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act, and that Act has an athlete agent file information with the Secretary of State before doing business (Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 18895.2, 18896) | CBU Athletics, NIL Policy (07.2025) and Compliance page; /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | CBU Athletics Compliance (Compliance page): Nic Latham, Associate Director of Athletics, Director of Compliance, nlatham@calbaptist.edu | CBU Athletics, Compliance |
| State law | California Education Code § 67456 (Fair Pay to Play Act), in force since 2021-09-01, covers private colleges as well as public ones, protects NIL pay and representation, requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to the school and lists no banned categories; in force | /nil/college/california |
What is specific to California Baptist
California Baptist is the only private school in the Big West, and it arrived on 2026-07-01 off the best season of its Division I era: CBU's release lists nine WAC titles, a STUNT national title and NCAA tournament trips in men's and women's basketball, women's soccer and softball, with 13 of its 16 sports now competing in the Big West. It made its revenue decision early, telling the NCAA by the March 1, 2025 deadline that it would opt in, and Vice President for Athletics Micah Parker said "It seems like most, if not all, of our regional and conference competitors are doing the same." Its 2025-26 handbook says CBU may "identify specific name, image and likeness opportunities" and "facilitate deals between student-athletes and third parties", and may enter into NIL agreements with athletes itself effective July 1, 2025. A private Christian university affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention, CBU ties NIL to its Standard of Student Conduct and its "missions and values." It is not Cal (UC Berkeley) and not UC Riverside, its Big West neighbor in the same city.
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 California Baptist
Does California Baptist pay its athletes?
CBU said on 2025-04-29 that it had notified the NCAA it would opt into the House settlement, and the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 table lists it as a participating school, with a cap of approximately $21.58 million per school. The 2025-26 handbook says CBU may enter into NIL agreements with athletes effective July 1, 2025. CBU has not published how much it pays or how it divides the money.
Does California's NIL law apply to California Baptist, a private university?
Yes. Education Code § 67456 covers independent and private colleges as well as UC, CSU and community colleges. It protects an athlete's right to NIL pay and to representation by persons licensed by the state, and requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates.
Does a CBU athlete need approval before signing an NIL deal?
Under CBU's July 2025 policy, yes. The proposed contract goes to the CBU Athletics Compliance Office for approval "Prior to receiving any compensation or entering into a NIL Contract", and the signed copy goes to compliance within four days. Deals of $600 or more also go into NIL Go under NCAA rules.
What NIL collective works with California Baptist?
CBU's athletics site names none as of 2026-10-24. It links an Official CBU NIL Store for athlete merchandise and Lancer Athletics Association membership and giving pages, and its handbook says CBU itself may identify NIL opportunities and facilitate deals.
When did California Baptist join the Big West?
On 2026-07-01, with Sacramento State and Utah Valley, after nine years in the WAC. The Big West says it has 12 full members in 2026-27. CBU sponsors 16 Division I sports, 13 of them in the Big West. Some CBU pages read on 2026-10-24 (the compliance page and the 2025-26 handbook) still name the Western Athletic Conference, and the College Sports Commission's 2026-27 table lists CBU under the Western Athletic Conference.
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