Penn State Basketball 'at the Bottom' of Big Ten in NIL Funding, Mike Rhoades Says

Penn State men’s basketball coach Mike Rhoades was straightforward when asked about his program’s NIL resources during a Zoom call on Tuesday. At first, Rhoades just said the Nittany Lions were “very limited in a lot of resources” as they worked to add older talent to the team this offseason.

But when asked whether Penn State had enough NIL funds to acquire the level of talent necessary to compete in the Big Ten, Rhoades answered bluntly.

“We're at the bottom [of the conference],” Rhoades said. “No coaches are going to say they have enough, right? Everybody wants more in this arms race, this and that. It is what it is. You got whatever you're given, you got to try to do the best that you can with it, and make no excuses, and figure it out.”

With one of the youngest rosters in college basketball last season, the Nittany Lions finished with a 12-20 overall record and went 3-17 in Big Ten play. Their season ended with a first-round loss to Northwestern in the conference tournament as the No. 18 seed.

Last season’s team featured eight freshmen, and inexperience helped cause that downfall, especially in toss-up games, according to returning sophomore center Ivan Jurić. One of those top young players, point guard Kayden Mingo, transferred to Baylor.

Rhoades sought to learn from the decisions to have a young roster in 2025-26, saying he never wants to be “the youngest team in Power 4 basketball ever again.”

A changing strategy for Penn State

During an offseason media availability, Penn State men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades spoke bluntly about the program's NIL situation. Question from @WillHorstman_ for context.

📽️Penn State Athletics pic.twitter.com/REoPQA42FI
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) July 21, 2026

So Penn State’s priority this offseason was to add older talent through the transfer portal, which Rhoades did by signing six transfers who have at least two seasons of collegiate eligibility. But even that didn’t stop Rhoades from saying that Penn State is well below the NIL needs of a Big Ten team.

“We've got to find a way to make the best of it and go from there,” Rhoades said. “What teams are doing in our league, and what we're not doing, are totally different. It is what it is, just got to make the best of it. But I've said it, I'm not making any excuses. Just when your back's up against the wall compared to what others are doing, no excuses. Got to figure it out."

While Penn State struggled with a young roster last season, Rhoades pointed out the rest of the Big Ten got “bigger and older and deeper with older guys.” Michigan won the national championship with a starting lineup composed of experienced and talented transfers.

That Wolverines team beat the Nittany Lions twice, including a 110-69 shellacking in Ann Arbor. By adding older players this offseason, Penn State hopes to be more competitive in conference games than it was last season.

“We were trying to get some older guys, guys with experience, and find a way to get them here, and I think we did a good job of that with what we have,” Rhoades said. “Some of these guys have played a lot of college basketball. They're just taking a huge step to play in the Big 10, but hopefully with maturity and guys having that experience under their belt, that's going to help us.”

'When the rich keep getting richer...'

Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball coach Mike Rhoades calls out a play to his team during the game against Rutgers. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jurić, who is one of three returning Nittany Lions, said the biggest difference in this year’s team is experience. He felt like last season’s team had talented pieces, but the lack of experience cost it.

Rhoades said it was necessary to address that issue, adding that “you're going backwards” if the team stays the same in this landscape of college athletics. It's unclear where Penn State's NIL budget stands in relation to other Big Ten programs. However, the athletic department reported spending $3 million on men's basketball NIL during the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Penn State might have limited resources, but Rhoades knows he needs a plan.

“When the rich keep getting richer, you … just got to figure it out,” Rhoades said. “That's how it is, so I'm going to continue to fight for our program as best we can, and in a respectful and classy way. It's all about the players that we have here, the guys that want to be here, and they're going to work super hard for us and represent us the right way.”

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