NC State Showing Signs of Adapting to New Football Financial Landscape
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RALEIGH — With the early signing period open, NC State's recruiting strategy remains largely unchanged, attacking in-state recruits and trusting the culture of the program to develop undervalued players in the eyes of recruiting analysis. However, the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, especially from a financial standpoint, has forced the Wolfpack to adapt.
Before the 2025 season, the revenue-sharing system was introduced across collegiate sports, forcing schools to allocate money from sport to sport, with football programs receiving the majority of the finances to build the roster. With more clarity on that system after a season, NC State head coach Dave Doeren has found the adjustment to be more seamless in his second try.
Building within the system
The last four to five years have been chaotic for every college football coach, to say the least. The introduction of NIL, the transfer portal boom and other rule changes have completely remade college football. For Doeren, the change hasn't always been easy, but he appeared to be more settled in that before on Wednesday's start to the Early Signing Period.
"Each year has been different, and this year has probably been the easiest of all of them, because you actually know what your numbers are," Doeren said. "In the past, you're hoping, because every dollar you're talking about is a dollar you've got to raise as a coach. So to actually have a number that you don't have to fundraise to get to makes it a little easier to plan out."
Back in August, NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan stated the Wolfpack would be "all in" in regards to the program's $20.5 million revenue-sharing budget. Corrigan also explained that he went to every coach across the athletic program and firmly laid out what their financial resources were from that pot, providing some clarity that other schools have failed to provide. In other words, Doeren knew what he was working with much more than in years past. Issues still exist, though.
"What still makes it challenging... Is our attrition comes later," Doeren said. "You're adding before you know how many you really need to add. For us, it's trying to get the high school players in, one that can play right away, which you saw we've done that over the years. Some that we can develop."
With the freedom of movement across the sport because of the transfer portal, Doeren's mindset about freshmen is even more important. NC State was forced to play several first-year players or redshirt freshmen throughout the 2025 season because of injuries and depth issues across the team. The transfer portal can allow supplementation at different positions.
"I think I learn every year how to do it, and then it changes again, you know?" Doeren said.
Another issue the veteran head coach pointed to was the college football calendar. It has become a major topic over the last few weeks, primarily because of the movement of head coaches around the sport, with some, like Lane Kiffin, being forced to choose between a new position at LSU or coaching his Ole Miss program in its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Kiffin's situation falls on the extreme end of that spectrum, but the issues nonetheless persist.
"I think every college coach would tell you, our calendar is just not in sync with the demands of what's happening in our sport," Doeren said. "We need to get our arms around that to make our jobs a little bit easier from a planning standpoint."
Even with the chaos within the sport, NC State's head coach feels confident about the group of freshmen he brought in for the 2026 season. While changes to the calendar will be the next step in fixing things, Doeren remains focused on making his Wolfpack program the best it can possibly be within the parameters he's been provided with.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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