It is well-known that NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) spending has surged this offseason within college football. However, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has pushed back against claims made earlier this spring that his Longhorns spent approximately $35-40 million on a roster intended for national championship pursuits. Sarkisian described the figure of a $40 million payroll as highly inaccurate, especially in light of a report from 247Sports’ Chip Brown.

“What’s frustrating on that is it was a little bit of irresponsible reporting,” Sartisian mentioned during an interview with SiriusXM about the initial Houston Chronicle report. “It was one anonymous source said that was what our roster was. I wish I had $40 million on our roster. We’d probably be a little bit better than we are.”

While Texas maintains that it did not invest that enormous amount, the reality is that the upper end of college football spending has indeed climbed to around $40 million during recent recruiting cycles. Indiana’s coach Curt Cignetti remarked to CBS Sports this spring that numerous top programs have spent tens of millions in their talent acquisition efforts.

The increase in NIL distributions correlates with the impending NCAA lawsuit settlement that may limit funds that programs can allocate to their rosters to approximately $20 million for all sports.

Sarkisian noted, “What’s crazy about this day and age… one guy writes an article from an anonymous source that says that’s what our roster is. Everybody ran with it. Real publications picked up that narrative without even seeking my input.”

Looking ahead, Texas’s roster is considered one of the most talented in the nation for the upcoming 2025 season, featuring promising quarterback Arch Manning and a top-ranked recruiting class arriving this summer.

“The idea to think that other schools are spending money to acquire players is simply the current state of college football,” Sarkisian added. “We’ve received tremendous support from our athletic director Chris Del Conte and our donors, as well as our recent performance which has seen us in the CFP for the last two years.”

Sarkisian concluded with a humorous note, stating he wished he had an extra $15 million for further improvements.

Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian