USF's NIL collective shuts down as universities move to direct pay for athletes

The booster-backed NIL collective that helped fund deals for University of South Florida athletes has shut down, signaling a shift as the school moves toward directly paying players.

The Fowler Avenue Collective — which facilitated name, image and likeness compensation for student-athletes — said it ceased operations April 3.

The group encouraged supporters to redirect donations to the Bulls Club, the university’s official athletic booster organization, a shift that aligns with a broader move toward school-managed athlete compensation.

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“From day one, our mission has been simple: invest in and protect USF’s athletes,” the collective said in a statement posted to social media, adding that it had “mobilized a community of passionate supporters” to provide financial and professional opportunities.

The next phase of college athletics is being shaped by the 2025 settlement of House v. NCAA, which allows schools to directly share revenue with athletes for the first time. Major universities have agreed to distribute a capped pool of roughly $20 million annually to athletes, fundamentally shifting compensation away from the booster-driven NIL model that emerged after the 2021 Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Alston.

Within the mid-major American Conference, schools are preparing to operate below that projected cap, with many expected to phase in revenue-sharing at more modest levels as budgets adjust. USF, however, has indicated it plans to be more aggressive — positioning itself near the top of the conference in athlete compensation and potentially outspending league peers during the first three years as it accelerates investment in football and men’s basketball.

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Opposing coaches have already pointed to USF’s rising investment profile in the American Conference. Jeff Traylor, the UTSA head coach, previously described USF as having “invested incredibly well” in its roster – comments widely interpreted as a reference to significant NIL-backed spending.

USF leadership has been even more explicit about the direction of investment.

When introducing new men’s basketball coach Chris Mack, USF president Moez Limayem said the university is investing in athletics “in a way we’ve never seen before,” calling it a strategic priority tied to broader institutional growth.

“As we've seen in recent years, our university is investing significantly in athletics in a way we've never seen before,” Limayem said. “This is not an afterthought for us. This is a very strategic priority for us.”

He added that USF’s goal of becoming a “true modern AAU university” depends in part on athletics success, framing it as a connected driver of academic reputation, donor engagement and institutional momentum.

That shift in philosophy is part of what has accelerated changes across the NIL landscape, where donor-led collectives that once funded athlete deals are increasingly being replaced or reshaped.

A sampling of NIL collectives at Florida’s public universities shows different paths being taken as the industry shifts toward school-controlled athlete compensation.

At the University of Florida, Florida Victorious continues to operate as the primary NIL collective, while Florida State’s The Battle’s End remains active as a central fundraising arm for Seminoles athletics. At UCF, the collective model has been consolidated into the broader Charge On Fund, which centralizes donor support for athletics and NIL, while Florida Atlantic has shifted toward the Competitive Excellence Fund as part of its post-settlement planning.

State university leaders launched a Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics aimed at keeping college sports competitive and financially sustainable as the system shifts into a new era of athlete compensation.

The State University System’s Board of Governors convened the group’s first call on March 26 and assessed how schools should respond to ongoing legal and policy uncertainty, including the prospect of federal action following President Donald Trump’s recent “Saving College Sports” meeting and a executive order.

Task force Chair Ken Jones said Florida must be prepared for change even if federal guidance is delayed, while members called for clearer national rules — and possibly an antitrust exemption — to stabilize enforcement as schools prepare for revenue sharing under the House settlement.