Cal GM Ron Rivera Discusses How $14 Million Is Paid to Players

Cal football general manager Ron Rivera is the final word on how the roughly $14 million will be distributed to Golden Bears players. It’s a big job, one that did not exist until this year.

It’s the new world of college football that starts this season, as colleges are allowed to spend up to $20.5 million in 2025-26 to pay their athletes. Like most FBS schools, Cal apparently is using the 75-15-5-5 distributions model, which means roughly 75% of the total amount will go to football players, 15% to men’s basketball players, 5% to women’s basketball players and 5% to the all other athletes combined.

What is interesting is that the several transfer newcomers interviewed this week said the money was not a major factor in their decision to come to Cal.

Rivera said this week that he has roughly $14 million to pay football players, which is a bit shy of 75% of the $20.5 million ceiling.

How does that money get distributed in the Cal football program?

Rivera this week went through a scenario of how a program would determine payments:

“You identify you’re top positions,” said Rivera, a two-time NFL coach of the year, who compared it to the NFL model, “and based on that you work from there. If your top position is quarterback, what’s the next most important thing you’ve got to do? Is it protect him, or put playmakers around him? If you say protect him, you’re going to look at your left tackle and . . . right guard, and decide what you’re going to look at there. Whichever you choose that position’s going to get more money. . . Now do we need another protector or a playmaker? If you say playmaker, is it wide receiver, running back or tight end? . . ..”

And so on.

So payments to players will vary.

Maryland coach Mike Locksley said in a recent Yahoo report that that different NIL payments to players caused some dissention between the haves and have-nots last season. Locksley said he “lost his locker room.”

Rivera does not expect that to be an issue at Cal.

“Not necessarily, because in all honesty, the first lesson you learn, that’s life,” Rivera said. “That’s the NFL. I mean that’s what they do in the NFL. And understand, [if] you want more, play better.”

This revenue sharing is new to the players too, and all five new Cal transfers interviewed this week said money was not a major factor in their decision to come to Cal. Like tight end Landon Morris, who transferred to Cal from Temple, most said the money issue would come in the NFL.

“I feel that’s a part of it with some athletes,” Morris said of the money issue in college, “but with my move it wasn’t as far as money. I feel the next step is more involved with money as far as the league [the NFL]. I’m not worried about the cash amount, I’m more worried about the field.”

Cal defensive back Brent “Paco” Austin, who played at South Florida last season, said money was not a significant factor in his choice of schools either.

“A chance where I can get to the NFL,” he said. “The NFL, that’s where the money is at. That’s the ultimate goal.”

A large part of Rivera’s job is to elicit donations to pay for the payments to players. He notes that one benefit of the university making the payments instead of players receiving money through NIL collectives not associated with the school’s athletic department is that donations to the university are tax-deductible while contributions to NIL collectives were not.

Rivera does not expect to spend all $14 million this year.

“I expect us to be diligent with it, use it properly and not waste it,” Rivera said. “We want to make good decisions. We want to make informed decisions. That’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. I don’t expect to use it all because again you’ve got to think about next year too, and going forward. And that’s the thing. Just because you got it this year, doesn’t mean you’ll get it next year.”

The limit on the amount universities are allowed to pay their athletes is expected to increase from the $20.5 million for 2025-26 by about 4% annually over the 10 years of the settlement, according to a CBS Sports report.

Schools are not obligated to spend all $20.5 million; that is merely the maximum. Cal will be able to spend more on football players in the future if it chooses to do so and if it can raise that amount from donors.

Asked whether all 113 players on Cal’s roster, including walk-ons, get some money, Rivera said, “It all depends on the situations and circumstances.”

Rivera discusses the negotiation process:

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