Texas Tech takes national spotlight for aggressive NIL approach, as critics cry foul
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Texas Tech is making headlines across the college sports landscape thanks to its aggressive NIL approach. The Red Raiders are all-in on leveraging NIL to bring championships to Lubbock, and the numbers are staggering.
According to various reports, Texas Tech has invested nearly $30 million into this year's football roster. In men's basketball, star forward JT Toppin is reportedly receiving a $4 million NIL deal to remain in Lubbock for one more season. And when it comes to the softball team, star pitcher NiJaree Canady has secured two separate $1 million NIL deals, while the team has also added three All-American transfers in recent days -- a haul largely driven by NIL.
CBS Sports recently reported that Texas Tech is projected to spend around $55 million between NIL and revenue sharing across all athletic programs in 2025, a payout that is likely higher than any other college in the nation.
I'm fascinated by Texas Tech's quest to buy its way to a softball title.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 13, 2025
In addition to NiJa Canady's $1M+ extension, it has added three All-Americans and UCLA's top pitcher in the portal. In a week.
I can't imagine another school has ever spent this much on one non-rev sport.
While Red Raider fans are celebrating this new era of NIL and the spending spree currently taking place in Lubbock, not everyone is enjoying it. Critics, particularly rival fans, have voiced concerns about the ethics of such an aggressive NIL approach. Reports of multi-million dollar payouts and exploiting "loopholes" have caused some to cry foul.
Yet, many point out that powerhouse programs have been spending big for years, albeit under the table. With NIL bringing everything out into the open, Texas Tech is simply playing by the new rules -- and doing it better than anyone else in the country.
The social media buzz around Texas Tech's spending has turned into a national debate, but the Red Raiders remain unfazed by that debate. Instead, the focus in Lubbock is squarely on building championship teams. And with financial resources that few schools around the country can compete with, Texas Tech is taking full advantage of its unique opportunity to rise to the top -- whether you like it or not.
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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.
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