The Big 8 Conference showcases 3C2A excellence in Northern California. From American River’s powerhouse football to San Joaquin Delta’s championship volleyball, Big 8 athletics blend Sacramento pride with top junior college competition. Here’s how fans can support athletes through NIL platforms like RallyFuel.
Why the Big 8 Matters in NIL
The Big 8 Conference has become a unique NIL environment for important reasons:
- California’s Fair Pay to Play Act, Senate Bill 26 (signed in August 2021), explicitly expanded NIL protections to California’s 116 community colleges. Big 8 athletes have the same legal protections as UCLA or USC players.
- 3C2A Modernization: The California Community College Athletic Association recently rebranded from CCCAA to 3C2A, updating bylaws to integrate NIL protections while maintaining eligibility standards.
- D1 Transfer Pipeline: Big 8 serves as a primary feeder system for Pac-12, Big West, and Mountain West programs. Athletes use Big 8 schools to develop skills before transferring to UC Davis, Sacramento State, and beyond.
- Team-First NIL Model: Big 8 institutions have adopted NIL Clubs (via YOKE) where proceeds are split equally among team members—a “rising tide” approach that benefits entire rosters.
- Sacramento Metro Market: With four institutions in the Sacramento region (American River, Cosumnes River, Sacramento City, Folsom Lake), the Big 8 has access to the California capital city’s market for local business partnerships.
- Nine Member Institutions: The Big 8 comprises nine community colleges across Northern California, providing comprehensive geographic coverage from the Bay Area to the Central Valley.
Big 8 athletes engage passionate Northern California communities, connecting devoted fanbases directly with their student-athletes through NIL support.
Big 8 NIL by School
NIL activity spans Big 8 programs across Northern California:
Sacramento Region
- American River College (Beavers): Sacramento community support. Football NIL Club is generating $1,400/month. Men’s Rugby NIL Club is active at $200/month. Athletes like Kade Millard and Kyle Farley have Opendorse profiles. Major D1 transfer destination—Grayson Barnes to Northern Illinois.
- Cosumnes River College (Hawks): South Sacramento community support. Developing NIL infrastructure with Los Rios District resources.
- Sacramento City College (Panthers): Community support in Downtown Sacramento. Urban market access with a strong football tradition.
- Folsom Lake College (Falcons): Folsom/El Dorado Hills community support. Men’s Soccer NIL Club is generating $540/month. Affluent suburban market.
Greater Northern California
- Sierra College (Wolverines): Rocklin/Placer County community support. Flag Football NIL Club is active at $200/month. Rachel Johnson serves as Big 8 rep on CCCADA Executive Board. Conner Smith transferred to Santa Clara.
- Santa Rosa Junior College (Bear Cubs): Sonoma County community support. Men’s Basketball NIL Club is generating $200/month. Strong swimming, diving, and soccer programs. Abria Brooker transferred to South Dakota State.
- Diablo Valley College (Vikings): Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa community support. Baseball NIL Club is generating $480/month. Bay Area market access.
- Modesto Junior College (Pirates): Modesto/Stanislaus County community support. Central Valley market. Ylan Esso-Essis transferred to UC Davis.
- San Joaquin Delta College (Mustangs): Stockton community support with ~23,500 students. Women’s volleyball (29-1 record in 2025) led by Big 8 MVP Hadlee Gray. Baseball producers D1 transfers like Makani Tanaka (Oral Roberts) and Mateo Garcia (Santa Clara).
RallyFuel enables Big 8 athletes to receive direct financial support from fans, making it easier for supporters to contribute to their favorite programs while helping athletes maximize their NIL opportunities.
Big 8 NIL Beyond Football
The Big 8 excels in NIL across multiple sports:
- Football: American River leads with $1,400/month NIL Club. Conference produces consistent D1 transfers to schools like Northern Illinois and Sacramento State.
- Baseball: Diablo Valley NIL Club at $480/month. The San Joaquin Delta is nationally recognized for D1 transfers. Strong programs conference-wide.
- Women’s Volleyball: San Joaquin Delta entered the 2025 state championship at 29-1. Coach Molly Hummel achieved 300th career win. Emily Vickers transferred to Tarleton State.
- Men’s Soccer: Folsom Lake NIL Club generating $540/month. Growing sport with regional rivalries.
- Men’s Basketball: Santa Rosa Junior College NIL Club at $200/month. Competitive programs across the conference.
- Rugby: American River Men’s Rugby NIL Club at $200/month. Growing non-traditional sports in the conference.
- Flag Football: Sierra College NIL Club at $200/month. Emerging sport with Olympic aspirations.
Fan-powered platforms like RallyFuel empower support across all Big 8 sports—not just football.
Active Big 8 NIL Clubs
| Institution | Sport | Monthly Goal | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| American River College | Football | $1,400 | YOKE |
| Folsom Lake College | Men's Soccer | $540 | YOKE |
| Diablo Valley College | Baseball | $480 | YOKE |
| American River College | Men's Rugby | $200 | YOKE |
| Sierra College | Flag Football | $200 | YOKE |
| Santa Rosa JC | Men's Basketball | $200 | YOKE |
How Big 8 Fans Can Support Athletes
Big 8 fans fuel current roster athletes through RallyFuel in a few simple steps:
1. Create an account on RallyFuel.com or the mobile app.
2. Select your Big 8 school affiliation.
3. Browse verified athletes currently on your program’s roster.
4. Fuel athletes across any sport
5. Track your support through your fan dashboard.
How It Works
When you purchase Fan Fuel, you buy Conditional NIL Engagement Rights (CNERs), enabling athletes to potentially receive NIL Agreements if they meet set conditions. This lets you directly support athletes and ensures transparency: if conditions like athlete transfer aren’t met, you receive an automatic refund.
Additional Support Channels
- NIL Clubs (YOKE Platform): Subscribe to team-specific fan communities with monthly fees. Proceeds are split equally among all participating athletes—the “rising tide” model.
- Opendorse Marketplace: Use this platform to directly book athletes for social media posts, appearances, and autographs, giving fans a way to support athletes individually through data-backed deals.
- Influxer Merchandise: Purchase officially licensed athlete-branded apparel with a direct revenue share to student-athletes.
- Local Business Partnerships: Sacramento metro and Northern California markets provide abundant local endorsement opportunities.
- RallyFuel’s conditional model automatically refunds Fan Fuel if athletes fail to meet or miss conditions.
Fan support through RallyFuel is voluntary and conditional; fuel purchases are not charitable donations. RallyFuel does not guarantee athlete participation, performance, or outcomes.
California’s NIL Legal Advantage
California led the nation in NIL legislation, and Big 8 athletes benefit from comprehensive legal protections:
Key Legislation
- SB 206 (2019): The “Fair Pay to Play Act”—first NIL law in the United States. Originally set for 2023 implementation.
- SB 26 (August 2021): Accelerated implementation to September 1, 2021. Explicitly expanded NIL protections to California’s 116 community colleges.
- 3C2A Bylaw Updates: Conference bylaws updated to remove previous restrictions on using name/likeness for advertising while maintaining eligibility standards.
Legal Protections for Big 8 Athletes
- Revenue Generation Rights: Institutions cannot prevent athletes from earning NIL compensation
- Scholarship Integrity: NIL earnings cannot be used to revoke financial aid
- Professional Representation: Athletes can hire licensed agents or attorneys
- School Identification: Athletes can identify their school for promotional purposes
- Conflict Avoidance: Athletes cannot enter contracts conflicting with team/institutional deals
The Transfer Portal and D1 Pipeline
The Big 8 serves as a primary talent pipeline for NCAA Division I programs:
Recent D1 Transfers from Big 8
| Athlete | Sport | Big 8 School | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ylan Esso-Essis | Basketball | Modesto JC | UC Davis (D1) |
| Grayson Barnes | Football | American River | Northern Illinois (D1) |
| Makani Tanaka | Baseball | San Joaquin Delta | Oral Roberts (D1) |
| Mateo Garcia | Baseball | San Joaquin Delta | Santa Clara (D1) |
| Conner Smith | Baseball | Sierra College | Santa Clara (D1) |
| Emily Vickers | Beach VB | San Joaquin Delta | Tarleton State (D1) |
| Abria Brooker | Soccer | Santa Rosa JC | South Dakota State (D1) |
Monetizing NIL at community colleges reshapes transfers. Athletes choose Big 8 schools for coaching and for established NIL ecosystems that grow their brand before moving on.
Want to make a difference for Big 8 athletes? Here’s how to get started.
Explore verified Big 8 athletes on RallyFuel, join NIL Clubs on YOKE, or browse Opendorse and Influxer for individual opportunities. California’s NIL law ensures that your support directly benefits student-athletes as they build their brands.
Name, Image, and Likeness plays an increasing role in college sports, and understanding how it works often requires more than individual articles or news updates.
RallyFuel is a platform focused on NIL-related topics across college athletics. It brings together information on athletes, NIL activity, and the broader structure of modern college sports, helping readers explore the topic in greater depth.
Learn More About the NIL Landscape
Name, Image, and Likeness plays an increasing role in college sports, and understanding how it works often requires more than individual articles or news updates.
RallyFuel is a platform focused on NIL-related topics across college athletics. It brings together information about athletes, NIL activity, and the broader structure behind modern college sports, helping readers explore the topic in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can Big 8 fans support athletes through NIL?
Big 8 fans can fuel athletes directly through RallyFuel by creating an account, selecting their school affiliation, and browsing verified athletes. The conditional model provides automatic refunds if athletes transfer or if conditions aren’t met. Additionally, fans can subscribe to NIL Clubs (via YOKE), use Opendorse marketplaces, or purchase Influxer merchandise.
Which Big 8 schools are on RallyFuel?
Athletes from Big 8 schools are available for fan support on RallyFuel, including American River College, Cosumnes River College, Diablo Valley College, Folsom Lake College, Modesto Junior College, Sacramento City College, San Joaquin Delta College, Santa Rosa Junior College, and Sierra College.
What makes California’s NIL laws different?
California was the first state to pass NIL legislation (SB 206 in 2019) and, through SB 26 (2021), explicitly extended protections to community college athletes. Big 8 athletes have the same legal protections as athletes at UCLA or USC—institutions cannot prevent NIL earnings, and scholarships cannot be revoked for NIL activity.
What is the “rising tide” NIL Club model?
The Big 8 institutions have adopted NIL Clubs (via YOKE), in which fan subscription proceeds are split equally among all participating team members. This “rising tide” approach benefits entire rosters rather than just star players—particularly effective in junior college, where individual fame may be transient, but team loyalty remains high.
What happens if an athlete I supported transfers?
If an athlete transfers or selects a different school during the conditional period, you receive an automatic refund to your original payment method. No manual request is required.
How does the Big 8 serve as a D1 pipeline?
The Big 8 provides a “second chance” pathway for athletes who were under-recruited or need academic development. Many athletes use Big 8 programs to build skills and NIL portfolios before transferring to Pac-12, Big West, and Mountain West programs. Recent transfers have gone to UC Davis, Northern Illinois, Santa Clara, Oral Roberts, and South Dakota State.
What is the 3C2A?
The 3C2A (formerly CCCAA) is the California Community College Athletic Association—the governing body for athletics at California’s 116 community colleges. The Big 8 is one of several regional conferences within the 3C2A structure. The recent rebrand reflects modernized governance and updated NIL bylaws.
Can I support Big 8 athletes in sports other than football?
Yes. RallyFuel hosts verified Big 8 athletes across all sports. Active NIL Clubs exist for baseball (Diablo Valley), men’s soccer (Folsom Lake), men’s basketball (Santa Rosa JC), rugby (American River), and flag football (Sierra). The Big 8 also produces D1 transfers in volleyball, soccer, and beach volleyball.
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