CBS Sports: $55 million payout could put Texas Tech on top of college athletics
There's no question that we have entered into a new era of college athletics with NIL and revenue sharing. While paying college athletes has been part of the landscape for quite some time, it has only become legal to do so over the last few years. And while the original intent was to allow players to profit from their name, image, and likeness in more practical ways, NIL morphed into something far beyond "practical" fairly quickly.
Some college football coaches estimate that it will soon cost nearly $40 million or more to construct a roster capable of competing for championships, something that would have been unimaginable just five years ago. Although many are unhappy with the current lack of guardrails within college athletics, the reality is that schools need to find a way to compete under the current format, regardless of how crazy it may be.
The good news for the folks in Lubbock is that Texas Tech is going all in on capitalizing on the current state of college athletics, and it could completely transform the trajectory of its athletic programs.
According to a recent report by Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports, Texas Tech is set to pay out a whopping $55 million to its student athletes in 2025. That number, according to the sources who spoke with Marcello, is believed to be the highest in the nation.
It’s believed Texas Tech will pay its players $55 million (revenue sharing + NIL) among all its programs this year, making the Red Raiders perhaps the highest-paying college athletics program in the country, sources tell @CBSSports. https://t.co/Kw7KdwJCzA
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) June 9, 2025
Texas Tech's multi-million dollar investment into star softball pitcher NiJaree Canady has received plenty of attention, and it's estimated that men's basketball standout JT Toppin landed a $4 million deal to remain in Lubbock. The Red Raiders' estimated $20-30 million investment into the 2025 football roster is believed to be one of the highest (if not the highest) in the country.
Put simply, Texas Tech is doing everything it can to take advantage of the current state of college athletics, with the ultimate goal of delivering championships to the university.
There's no telling where all of this is headed with NIL and revenue sharing. These days, college athletics are in a constant state of transition, and the rules today may be changed tomorrow. But for now, Texas Tech is positioning itself to break through, reset the landscape, and compete with the top programs in the country across the board. And with an estimated nation-leading $55 million investment into its student-athletes, that's a pretty damn good start.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.