# US college basketball NIL and roster instability > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-college-basketball-nil-and-roster-instability > Updated: 2026-10-25T11:10:07.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. The landscape of college basketball is undergoing a significant financial and regulatory transformation driven by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation and revenue-sharing models. Estimates indicate that combined NIL and revenue-sharing compensation could reach approximately $2.25 billion for the 2025-26 academic year, a substantial increase from $917 million in 2021-22. Among Power Five programs and Gonzaga, the average NIL cost per roster is approximately $13.5 million, with the SEC leading at an average of $17.3 million. Several top-tier programs, including Kentucky, Texas, and Duke, are spending $20 million or more. While legislative efforts like the Protect College Sports Act aim to create a national framework, legal uncertainties regarding player eligibility and athlete employment status persist. These legal battles and varying state-level interventions have created significant roster uncertainty for coaches heading into the 2026-27 season. Coaches have expressed frustration as teams remain unsure of their full rosters due to pending court decisions and the destabilizing influence of NIL payments. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-25: College basketball coaches face roster uncertainty amid legal battles College basketball coaches face extreme roster instability for the 2026-27 season due to NIL payments and legal battles over player eligibility. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/college-basketball-coaches-face-roster-uncertainty-amid-legal-battles ### 2026-10-22: College basketball roster spending surges due to NIL NIL compensation is transforming college basketball, with average roster costs reaching $13.5 million and top programs spending over $20 million annually. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/college-basketball-roster-spending-surges-due-to-nil --- Cite as: US college basketball NIL and roster instability. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-college-basketball-nil-and-roster-instability