The Texas Longhorns have always been a blueblood program. Sure, the national title came 2 decades back, but with Steve Sarkisian at the helm, that seems to be changing. Why? Well, last year’s momentum is still there as they made deep into the playoffs in the semifinals, and this year? Many of Texas’s marquee players are returning, although 12 were impressively drafted in the NFL draft, a program record undoubtedly. Cherry on top? The program ranks 1st nationally in recruitment for the 2025 class with 5-star names like Jonah Williams and Justus Terry. Also, who can forget the generational prodigy Arch Manning finally getting ready for his first season as a starter? All of this seems extremely optimistic for Texas, right? Well, behind this ‘optimism’ are layers like an onion peel, never-ending and, yes, bringing tears to others.
The Longhorns didn’t always look this shiny and well-oiled. Remember the days when Tom Herman was in Texas? The team looked inconsistent, struggled to post 10-win seasons, and lost to unranked teams. To be honest, many would still remember the Longhorns’ 2017 loss against Maryland and the 2019 loss against TCU. But with Steve Sarkisian, all of this has gone. The results are getting more and more consistent, and the team is producing world-class players every year. What changed?
Well, Steve Sarkisian is undoubtedly a very good coach in terms of recruiting, offense, and management. But what landed in Sark’s favor is the newly arrived NIL verdict in 2021. Now, the blueblood programs had a massive edge in recruiting, and Texas, already a powerhouse and generating upwards of $300 million (2024) in revenue, fit like a glove for Sarkisian. The head coach spent $11 million on his roster in 2023 and made it to the CFP semifinal only to lose in a close game against Washington. In 2025, the head coach is going all out.
This year, it has been reported that the head coach is spending around $35-40 million in NIL money to end their 2 decade old natty drought. Pat McAfee, however, seemed less impressed with the massive number floated. “Ohio State got a national championship now. Texas is obviously looking to win one of those. It is now been reported that they potentially have a 40 million dollar roster. Is this just what it is for college ball now?” Pat McAfee asked sarcastically to his host, Heather Dinich.
Sorry, Pat, but now, this is really the cost to play at the highest level. Last year, it was reported that in the transfer portal, starting QBs were going anywhere around $1 million, and other players like DLs, edge rushers, tight ends, etc, were going anywhere around $500,000 to $1 million (per NY Times). Now, this year, with the House v NCAA settlement coming in and bringing in the reported $20.5 million salary cap the prices of all the positions have gone double and it will surely take $40 million now if a program want to build a winning roster like Ohio State’s $20 million last year. But why the inflation?
“It costs money to win a National Championship and this is the cost of doing business in College Football right now..
Even for the wealthy programs I don’t think this is sustainable..
It feels like at some point this bubble is gonna burst” ~ @CFBHeather #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/CrQAPheumQ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 6, 2025
“The market doubled this year because you have the rev share and the (collective) money. You have people calling players on your roster saying, ‘We’ll give you this or that.’ They take it to Texas and say, ‘This is what I need for you to keep me.’ “. This was an anonymous Power 4 GM revealing to ‘The Athletic’ about the changing market. Also, the GM’s analogy and reasoning are quite apt.
As reported, the Bulldogs are going to spend 3/4th of their cap money on their football program, and it is reported that other SEC teams, including Sark’s Texas, would follow a similar model. This would mean that out of that $20 million, $15 million will be given directly to the players as part of the House v NCAA settlement. Moreover, the rest of the $20-25 million would be through Texas’s sole NIL collective: Texas One Fund. But is spending $40 million every year sustainable?
Steve Sarkisian’s Texas gets an alarming verdict about its future
Well, surely spending $40 million isn’t sustainable for any program, no matter how storied and how much of a ‘power’ tag it carries. Because it’s only a matter of time before the House v NCAA settlement gets approved, and then all the teams would be governed by the same cap of $20.5 million. But NIL would still be there, and teams carving NIL collectives every year and giving those multimillion-dollar contracts wouldn’t be sustainable. ESPN’s CFB insider Heather Dinich also echoed the same sentiments.
“I don’t think that this is sustainable. Once you’ve got the NCAA house settlement in terms of this pending salary cap, with about 20.5 million dollars. How much longer? Also, I talked about athletic directors who say there’s booster fatigue over this, so at some point it feels like Wall Street, where a bubble’s going to burst“.
Well, NIL is nothing less than a bubble right now. It’s booming, no one knows how it actually works behind the curtains, and yes, there’s widespread chaos about the whole framework. So, yes, the bubble can surely burst. But maybe Sark can churn out a natty in his name before that happens, right? Moreover, this is not about the Longhorns, as several other programs are following the same practice, as one power 4 GM remarked, “(Texas) is top five, for sure. But I bet it’s not the highest.”
The post Steve Sarkisian Succumbs to Pat McAfee’s Tough Reality Check as $40M Texas Gamble Triggers Blunt Exposé appeared first on EssentiallySports.