On June 27, 2025, PayPal, a global digital payment company based in California, United States, announced a strategic partnership with the Big Ten and Big 12 college athletic conferences to enable secure, fast compensation to student-athletes. This follows the recent House v. NCAA court settlement, which reshaped college sports by allowing direct payments to student-athletes. The initiative will launch this summer and may soon expand to other conferences like the ACC.
Global fintech leader PayPal, headquartered in San Jose, California, has announced a major collaboration with the Big Ten and Big 12 athletic conferences to enable streamlined and secure compensation for student-athletes. This move comes in the wake of the recent House v. NCAA court settlement, which allows U.S. colleges to compensate student-athletes for the first time.
As per the settlement, schools can distribute up to $20.5 million to active athletes and an additional $2.8 billion in compensation to former NCAA players. Under the new agreement, these payments within the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences will be processed exclusively through PayPal.
The initial rollout of this program is scheduled for summer 2025, with the House settlement officially taking effect on July 1.
In addition to payments, PayPal announced that students will be able to pay tuition through its platform, positioning the company as a preferred payment partner at select universities. The company also revealed it will launch conference-branded debit cards customized with each school’s logo.
We’re proud to help lead this transformation in college athletics by making it easier and faster for student-athletes to get paid and continue to bring trusted and innovative commerce solutions to the heart of campus life.”
Alex Chriss, President and CEO of PayPal
As part of this expansion, Venmo, PayPal’s mobile payment platform, will be a presenting partner for the Big Ten Rivalry Series and serve as an official sponsor for the Big 12 Conference. Students will also be able to use Venmo for purchases at campus bookstores and athletics-related transactions such as tickets, concessions, and merchandise.
It is a great day for student-athletes… the ACC is up next, so you’re going to see this program roll out across campuses throughout the country.”
Brett Yormark, Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference
The Big Ten Conference, which expanded to 18 schools in August 2024, includes institutions like the University of Maryland, Penn State University, University of Michigan, and the Ohio State University. The Big 12 Conference comprises 16 schools, including Arizona State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Houston.
This partnership marks a transformative step in integrating fintech solutions into the evolving world of college athletics, with student-athletes set to benefit from faster and more secure financial services.
