Last updated: November 1, 2026
College Olympic sports are being cut at a pace not seen in years, and NIL often gets the blame. The bigger driver is school revenue sharing, which since July 2025 has pulled athletic budgets toward football and men’s basketball, while outside NIL deals remain one of the few sources of money still reaching swimmers, wrestlers, fencers and gymnasts.
Quick summary
- More than 40 Division I Olympic sports programs were cut between May 2024 and July 2025, according to Bloomberg figures cited by USA Fencing’s CEO.
- One report counts more than 415 college teams cut, merged or reclassified since March 2024.
- Revenue sharing (up to $20.5 million per school in 2025-26) mostly goes to football and men’s basketball.
- NIL deals come from outside sponsors and fans, not school budgets, and are one of the few ways Olympic-sport athletes get paid.
The Cuts to College Olympic Sports Are Real
Front Office Sports reported in June 2025 that Louisiana-Monroe cut women’s tennis, Grand Canyon dropped men’s volleyball, Washington State consolidated track and field, and St. Francis moved 22 Division I programs to Division III, citing the cost of the settlement. Tennis was hit especially hard, with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association counting seven programs cut in a single year.
By May 2026, WRAL reported a count of more than 415 college teams cut, merged or reclassified since March 2024. Arkansas cut men’s and women’s tennis, then reinstated both after boosters provided short-term funding while the school seeks an endowment.
Why It Matters for Team USA
College programs are the main training ground for American Olympians. USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews wrote in Inside Higher Ed that 75% of U.S. Olympians at the 2024 Paris Games came through college athletics, and WRAL noted that 40% of U.S. Winter Olympians in 2026 competed in the NCAA. Andrews argues that each cut can look reasonable for one campus, but together they wear down the system that produces Olympians, with Los Angeles 2028 less than two years away.
It’s Revenue Sharing, Not NIL Deals
NIL and revenue sharing get lumped together, but they are different money:
- NIL deals are paid by outside sponsors, businesses and fans. They do not come out of a school’s athletic budget.
- Revenue sharing is paid by the school itself under the House v. NCAA settlement, up to $20.5 million in 2025-26, with the cap rising over time.
The budget pressure on college Olympic sports comes mostly from the second. At most schools, nearly all revenue-sharing money goes to football and men’s basketball. North Carolina shows the math: WRAL reported that UNC football and men’s basketball generated more than $103 million in 2024-25, while the school’s other 26 sports brought in $26 million against $48 million in expenses.
What leaders are saying
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told WRAL “the pressures are real,” and called for federal help. Wake Forest’s athletic director has suggested private gifts could fully fund sports like golf and tennis, while some officials float a future split between paid revenue sports and club-style programs.
Some Schools Are Going the Other Way
- Arcadia, Denison, Fairleigh Dickinson and Trinity College have all added fencing, according to Andrews.
- The Protect College Sports Act, which passed the Senate in September, would require minimum sport offerings and set aside money for women’s and Olympic sports. The House has not voted yet; see our Protect College Sports Act explainer.
Where NIL Actually Helps College Olympic Sports
For a swimmer, wrestler or gymnast, NIL is one of the few ways to earn at all, since little revenue-sharing money reaches them. Read how NIL helps Olympic wrestlers stay in the sport, meet the college gymnasts heading for LA 2028, and see how niche sports like NCAA equestrian NIL work.
So is NIL killing Olympic sports? Not directly. Revenue sharing is pulling school budgets toward football and basketball, while outside NIL money is one of the few sources of support moving the other way.
FAQ
Is NIL causing colleges to cut Olympic sports?
Not directly. NIL deals are paid by outside sponsors. The bigger budget pressure comes from school revenue sharing under the House settlement, which mostly goes to football and men’s basketball.
How many college Olympic sports programs have been cut?
More than 40 Division I Olympic sports programs were cut between May 2024 and July 2025, and one count puts total college teams cut, merged or reclassified since March 2024 at more than 415.
Which sports have been cut the most?
Tennis has been hit especially hard, along with programs like men’s volleyball and track and field at some schools.
How many U.S. Olympians come from college sports?
USA Fencing’s CEO says 75% of U.S. Olympians at Paris 2024 came through college athletics, and 40% of 2026 U.S. Winter Olympians competed in the NCAA.
Follow College Athletes on RallyFuel
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