Baylor has gone from underdogs to NIL spenders
The dynamic of college football changed entirely on July 1st, 2021, when the NCAA approved its first interim NIL policy, which allowed college football players to profit from third-party endorsements and sponsorships. Following that date in July, college football changed entirely, with universities across the country in a mad dash to try and set up their own NIL structure to get a leg up on the rest of the competition. Fast forward now to the present, and nothing has changed outside of a little firmer regulation. College football programs across the country continue to compete with one another when it comes to their NIL budgets and spending, as a higher budget allows a university more flexibility when it comes to recruiting talent (both high school and transfer portal).
While larger brand universities, such as the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and the University of Alabama, have no problem attracting top-tier endorsement opportunities for their student-athletes, more regional college football programs may not have the same luxury of opportunities available. When considering a school like Baylor, there are a few key points to highlight. While Baylor is a strong college football program and a Power Four conference, the university itself is relatively regional to Texas and may not have the same national reach as a school like Michigan. For that reason, generating NIL revenue for a school like Baylor is imperative in order to be able to compete with larger national brands not only in their conference, but in their state.
Baylor went from a few thousand in NIL to $15M.
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) September 11, 2025
They added 24 transfers and flipped the roster.
Head Coach Dave Aranda says the money isn’t the problem… the pressure is ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nKP4VInrbf
In a recent X post by former college football player Adam Brennan, he discussed a recent conversation he had with Baylor head coach Dave Aranda regarding the current state of NIL with Baylor football, and how it has metamorphosed over the last couple of years. When discussing what the new era of "buying players" does to college football, Aranda responded by saying, "kids get spoken of as usable or replaceable.... Something easily bought can get easily taken away."
Additionally, Brennan went on to point out how former players on Baylor Football's roster were only making a couple of thousand dollars a year; present day, their NIL budget has ballooned to $15 million, allowing Baylor to sign a strong transfer portal class of 24 players, almost as much as the previous three years combined.
We do not know what is going to happen with NIL and collegiate football, but as it stands right now, until federal legislation is passed, it is up to the discretion of the NCAA as to what is and is not allowed. As always, stay tuned, and we will see how Baylor continues to maximize the most out of their growing NIL budget.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.