Greg Byrne Addresses 'Inaccurate Narratives' Surrounding Alabama's NIL Funding

The Alabama athletic director discusses the rumors that the Crimson Tide is "not doing any NIL rev share" for women's basketball.

Feb 28, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; The University of Alabama celebrated the retirement of Dr. Ginger Gilmore from the athletic training staff Friday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Athletics director Greg Byrne speaks during the reception. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When Kristy Curry left Alabama to become the women's basketball head coach at USF, many speculated that the reasons were related to a potential lack in the program's NIL funding and rev share.

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne introduced Pauline Love as the Crimson Tide's new women's basketball coach on Thursday morning, but before he had her stand at the podium, he addressed these portrayals.

"I will say I'm amazed by many of the inaccurate narratives that have been out there during this process," Byrne said. "NIL and rev share, you have to be competitive. But you also have to balance the health of your entire department and all of your teams and student athletes."

Byrne proceeded to discuss the investment in the women's basketball program. And he gave a very surprising monetary figure when it comes to spending.

"Our women's basketball budget has grown 170 percent over the last six years," Byrne said. "We're about to open a beautiful $54 million practice facility to benefit our men's and women's basketball programs. The way we support our student-athletes academically, medically, nutrition, mental, health, etc., including women's basketball, is the best in the nation. We will continue to do this."

After Love's introduction, Byrne had a Q&A with the media and opened up a bit more about the inaccurate narratives. Here's what he said.

"I had somebody call me and say, 'I'm told that you guys are slashing your budget, that you're not doing any NIL rev share.' That's what some agents and opposing coaches are out there saying. It's a lie, completely inaccurate.

"One of the things we have tried very diligently as a department is to make sure we don't promise something we can't deliver. And so I know of schools who are reducing what they had promised from a rev share NIL standpoint in some sports.

"We haven't done that, and it's important that we continue to do everything we can to stay competitive and also not have it be where something doesn't get delivered. In today's very unregulated, challenging world, that's hard.

"The reports out there from what schools have in rev share, I've seen stuff out about us like it's not even close to being accurate. It's hard to say, 'Well, you're wrong,' because that opens up a whole other can of worms."

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