MW The 5 highest-paid college basketball players this year: No. 1 is making $4.2 million from NIL
By Weston Blasi
As the Sweet 16 of March Madness tips off, multiple athletes are now earning over $1 million from NIL deals
AJ Dybantsa of the BYU Cougars was the top-earning college basketball player this year.
These Sweet 16 players are making some sweet money.
Since the National Collegiate Athletic Association started allowing college athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness in 2021, many of the top athletes are not just making some extra cash on the side - they're raking in millions. That includes several men's basketball stars hitting the court on Thursday for the Sweet 16 round of the 2026 March Madness tournament.
The first NIL millionaires in college athletics started trickling in shortly after the new rules went into effect five years ago, but now payments to the top athletes are exploding. In 2023, there were just 10 NCAA athletes across all sports whose NIL earnings exceeded $1 million. Now, there are over 50 athletes earning seven-figures, with some of them making upwards of $5 million annually, according to On3's NIL deal tracker.
The college sports landscape has gotten so lucrative for the athletes that some of them are actually taking pay cuts when they turn professional. (In fact, some college players have even delayed going to the NBA and the NFL.)
Multimillion-dollar NIL deals typically go to the sports that generate the most revenue, such as football and men's basketball. And because schools are rapidly increasing their annual NIL budgets to stay competitive in the ever-changing college sports landscape, payments to players have ballooned.
For example, the entire Ohio State University football roster received "around $20 million" in NIL deals in 2024, according to the school's athletic director, Ross Bjork. Two years later, many top schools are now also in the $40 million range, reports indicate.
"College sports are basically pro sports teams now," Lisa Delpy Neirotti, the director of the sports-management program at George Washington University's School of Business, told MarketWatch.
Darren Heitner, a lawyer who brokers NIL deals for student athletes, recently posted a clip on X featuring UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin publicly campaigning for more NIL dollars after his team lost in March Madness.
These NIL deals are negotiated by college athletes and their representatives to leverage their brand and influence through promotions. This can involve commercials for local businesses - like a car dealership paying a quarterback or providing a car - or generating income through social media based on follower size.
And many of the top NIL earners for 2026 are playing college basketball - including the popular March Madness tournament right now.
The Sweet 16 round of the tournament begins on Thursday night, and some of the top earners can be found still scoring baskets and busting brackets. It's important to note that while the women's March Madness tournament is also underway, unlike in previous years when Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were mainstays on top of the NIL earners list, there are no women's basketball players among the top 10 NIL earners this year.
With that in mind, here are the five college basketball players who are making the most money from NIL, according to On3's proprietary NIL algorithm, which is based on deal data, performance, influence and exposure.
5) Morez Johnson, $2 million
Morez Johnson Jr., No. 21 of the Michigan Wolverines, goes to the basket against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
University of Michigan sophomore Morez Johnson is averaging 13.4 points this season, and helped lead his team to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Johnson, 20, made both the second-team All-Big Ten team and the Big Ten All-Defensive Team this season. The power forward has NIL deals with brands including CVS $(CVS)$ and the videogame maker 2K Sports.
4) Eli Ellis, $2.1 million
Eli Ellis, No. 15 of the South Carolina Gamecocks, shoots over Xaivian Lee of the Florida Gators.
Eli Ellis played for the University of South Carolina as a freshman this season, but recently announced plans to transfer to another school for next season.
This season, Ellis, 20, averaged 8.6 points and was one of the most followed athletes in college sports, with around 2.1 million followers across all social-media platforms.
3) Cameron Boozer, $2.2 million
Cameron Boozer of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball in a game against the Siena Saints.
Duke University freshman Cameron "Cam" Boozer is one of the best players in college basketball and is expected to be one of the first selections in the 2026 NBA Draft. But for now, Boozer is playing college hoops with his brother Cayden at Duke, also a No. 1 seed in the March Madness tournament.
Boozer, 18, is the son of longtime NBA player Carlos Boozer. The Duke phenom has NIL deals with Samsung (KR:005930), State Farm, 2K Sports, Jordan Brand $(NKE)$ and Domino's $(DPZ)$.
2) JT Toppin, $2.8 million
JT Toppin of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stands on the court after the game against the Utah Utes.
Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin was one of the top scorers in college basketball with 21.8 points per game this season. Unfortunately, he missed this year's March Madness tournament after suffering a season-ending knee injury during a game in mid-February. Toppin, 20, is a junior who has NIL deals with Domino's and Raising Canes.
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1) AJ Dybantsa, $4.2 million
AJ Dybantsa of the BYU Cougars in action during the second round of the men's 2026 Big 12 Tournament against West Virginia.
Brigham Young University forward AJ Dybantsa was the highest NIL earner in all of college basketball this season. He is averaged 25.5 points per game - the most in the country - and is expected to be a top-two pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
The 19-year-old has NIL deals with Nike, Red Bull and Fanatics, and has over 800,000 followers on social media.
From the archives: Tax-free NIL payments to college athletes? One state hopes it will give its schools a recruiting edge.
Other top NIL earners who are still playing in the March Madness tournament are Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg ($2 million), Purdue University guard Braden Smith ($1.7 million) and University of Illinois guard Keaton Wagler ($1.5 million), per On3. The women's basketball player with the highest NIL earnings this year was Louisiana State University forward Flau'jae Johnson ($1.5 million).
The men's and women's basketball tournaments come at an uncertain time for the NCAA. The organization has been hit with several scandals that involved players allegedly illegally betting on games, as well as federal class-action lawsuits over student-athlete compensation.
-Weston Blasi
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March 25, 2026 17:27 ET (21:27 GMT)
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