College football has never paid players to play in a neutral-site game. Until now.
Auburn is expected to share roughly $6 million with players in a groundbreaking NIL deal tied to the program’s appearance in the Aflac Kickoff Game against Baylor on Sept. 5, sources with knowledge of the agreement told CBS Sports. The money will be distributed among up to 24 Auburn players under a guarantee model that includes marketing commitments and promotional appearances. Players will also be paid through a revenue-sharing component tied directly to the game’s ticket sales.
The deal, first revealed Monday, marks the first time a neutral-site college football game has incorporated NIL compensation for players. Peach Bowl, Inc., has partnered with third-party entities to structure the arrangement, which runs from July through kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Alex Golesh inherits Auburn rebuild and one old question: How long to beat Alabama?
Brandon Marcello
Players will take part in a series of “activations” promoting the game and its events. Those include social media posts, public appearances, advertisements, in-game promotions, media interviews, and signage and branding opportunities.
The revenue-share component tied to ticket sales is what separates this deal from a standard endorsement model. Players now seemingly have a financial stake in the game. Auburn received an allotment of 20,645 tickets for the neutral-site game – most tickets were included in Auburn’s season-ticket package – as the home team. Baylor received 3,000 tickets, the typical amount set aside for a team visiting an SEC stadium.
Other neutral-site organizers are watching. Neutral-site games, a staple on Labor Day weekend, have lost leverage as schools increasingly prioritize home schedules to protect their CFP positioning. A direct revenue share for players could be the answer to winning them back.
“In the new NIL era of college football, this will be an innovative way to create wins for the teams, programs and student-athletes,” reported Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO David Epps. “This new model is a true win-win scenario where Auburn and its student-athletes get a financial boost in the NIL space. At the same time, it’s a potential game-changer for neutral-site games like ours who want to bring added value to participating teams and make it a more attractive and lucrative opportunity.”
The Aflac Kickoff Game will be Auburn’s fourth appearance in the event, formerly known as the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Baylor is appearing for the first time.
Auburn and Baylor originally scheduled a home-and-home series, but the teams agreed to move the final game from Auburn to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Auburn defeated Baylor 38-24 on the road to open the 2025 season.
Kickoff on Sept. 5 is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
