Leave is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of California, Riverside, its athletics department or its conference. Everything here comes from what University of California, Riverside, 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 UC Riverside
| Question | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| School NIL policy | Not published. The UC Riverside Athletics compliance page describes institutional control and the compliance office's mission but carries no NIL policy, handbook or guidance. The University of California's Regents Policy 3501, Policy on Student Athletes (approved 2016-05-12), does not mention NIL, and no UC system-wide NIL policy was found | UC Riverside Athletics, Compliance Home (read 2026-10-24); UC Regents Policy 3501 |
| How deals are disclosed | NIL Go for third-party deals of $600 or more within five business days (NCAA Bylaws 22.2.2, 22.2.2.2). UC Riverside has published no disclosure process or portal of its own. California requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates (Educ. Code § 67456(e)(2)) | NCAA Division I Manual 2026-27; /nil/college/california |
| Banned categories | Not published. California's statute lists none, and UC Riverside has published no category list or sponsor conflicts | UC Riverside Athletics (read 2026-10-24); /nil/college/california |
| School marks and group licensing | Not published. The athletics site has no page on athletes' use of UC Riverside marks, facilities or group licensing for NIL | UC Riverside Athletics (read 2026-10-24) |
| Revenue sharing | The College Sports Commission lists the University of California, Riverside among 2026-27 participating schools and puts the 2026-27 cap at "approximately $21.58 million per school" (read 2026-10-24). UCR Athletics announced the GAME (Growth, Advancement, Momentum, Excellence) Fund on 2025-08-20, funded by alumni, fans and donors; the release says the fund allows UCR Athletics to "Create competitive NIL and revenue-sharing models" and to "Expand scholarship and financial assistance opportunities", and that it "does not replace the UC Riverside Athletics Association Fund". No UC Riverside statement on how it shares revenue, or any breakdown by sport, was found. The minutes of the UC Regents Special Committee on Athletics for 2024-11-13 record that UCR was in conversation with Learfield, its partner for multimedia rights, "about how UCR Athletics could expand this partnership into NIL" | College Sports Commission; UC Riverside Athletics, GAME Fund (2025-08-20); UC Regents, Special Committee on Athletics minutes (2024-11-13) |
| Collective or NIL group | UC Riverside Athletics announced Raise the Riv on 2023-06-19, "powered by Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), the official NIL Collective for Highlander Student-Athletes", and said SANIL "is not officially affiliated with UCR Athletics but is acknowledged by the department". The website the release links did not resolve on 2026-10-24, and no later UCR statement on the collective was found, so its current status was not confirmed | UC Riverside Athletics, Raise the Riv launch (2023-06-19) |
| Agents and representation | Not published by UC Riverside. California law bars schools from preventing athletes from hiring professional representation, says representation must come from persons licensed by the state, and the Miller-Ayala Act requires athlete agents to file with the Secretary of State | /nil/college/california |
| Compliance contact | UC Riverside Athletics Compliance; the staff directory lists Dr. Josh Smith, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Compliance (joshua.smith@ucr.edu), and a Compliance Coordinator | UC Riverside Athletics, Staff Directory |
| State law | California Education Code § 67456 (Fair Pay to Play Act), operative since 2021-09-01, covers University of California campuses, protects NIL pay and representation, requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates and lists no banned categories; in force | /nil/college/california |
What is specific to UC Riverside
UC Riverside's athletics program has described its own recent history as a comeback: a UCR Athletics story from 2025-07-28 recounts that in August 2020 the university's Budget Advisory Committee recommended considering cutting the program during the pandemic. The fullest public record of how UCR has discussed NIL and revenue sharing is not on its athletics site but in the minutes of the UC Regents' Special Committee on Athletics for 2024-11-13, where UCR presented alongside UC Berkeley. There, UCR's senior associate athletics director listed NIL collectives, the transfer portal, roster limits and revenue sharing among its challenges; the minutes record Chancellor Wilcox clarifying that the UCR Athletics budget "was primarily comprised of direct institutional support and some student fees", and UCR talking with sponsors about "the percentage of sponsorship dollars that would go into NIL and into the program". In August 2025 UCR Athletics created the GAME Fund, which names NIL and revenue-sharing models among its uses, and Greg Paules became director of athletics in March 2026. UCR has posted no NIL policy, disclosure rule or update on its 2023 collective.
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 UC Riverside
Does UC Riverside pay its athletes?
The College Sports Commission lists UC Riverside among schools participating in revenue sharing for 2026-27, with a 2026-27 cap of about $21.58 million per school. UCR Athletics' GAME Fund, launched on 2025-08-20, says it allows the department to "Create competitive NIL and revenue-sharing models". UC Riverside has not published how it shares revenue or any breakdown by sport.
What NIL collective works with UC Riverside?
In June 2023 UCR Athletics announced Raise the Riv, run by Student Athlete NIL, as the official collective for its athletes, adding that the company is not officially affiliated with UCR Athletics. The collective's website did not load on 2026-10-24 and UCR has published nothing newer about it.
How do UC Riverside athletes report NIL deals?
Third-party deals of $600 or more go into NIL Go within five business days under NCAA rules. UC Riverside has not published a reporting process of its own; California law requires each NIL contract to be disclosed to an official the school designates.
Does UC Riverside have an NIL policy?
None is posted. The athletics compliance page has no NIL section, and the University of California's Regents Policy 3501 on student athletes (2016) does not mention NIL. California's Fair Pay to Play Act and NCAA rules apply.
Is UC Riverside the same school as California Baptist?
No. Both are in Riverside and both play in the Big West in 2026-27, but UC Riverside is a public University of California campus and California Baptist University is a private university that joined the Big West on 2026-07-01.
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