Steve Sarkisian Calls Out State of NIL in College Football

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is not shy about the Longhorns’ spending, but he insists that the race to the top is deeper and more competitive than it seems.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian speaks during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is a new era of college football. Money may have always been what kept the ecosystem moving, but in 2026, NIL dominates the game. Teams are either buying in or falling behind as the meta shifts across the nation.

The Texas Longhorns have been ready for this race and have not shied away from being buyers.

However, head coach Steve Sarkisian cautions that the number of teams with big purses is more numerous than fans may think.

Steve Sarkisian Comments on Big Spending in College Football

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart interact after a game at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Ever since the floodgates opened about a half-decade ago, one of the need-to-know terms has been NIL. With players able to benefit from their name, image and likeness, opportunities opened up for college athletes to be paid in more direct and conspicuous ways.

While it is far from the alleged under-the-table dealings that have gotten teams in trouble in the past, the process is still not fully transparent. It is not just obscure to the public but to rival programs. The process is done more openly than before, but the exact details and numbers remain largely unknown.

“Nobody ever is really going to know because we never have to disclose the contracts. That’s the most out-of-whack thing in the world,” Sarkisian said to Chris Low of On3.

Despite there being a $21.3 million NCAA revenue-sharing cap in 2026, Low says that multiple rosters are “expected to exceed $30 million.” By no means is Texas not among the highest spenders, but that is the game laid out, and the Longhorns are playing.

Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman catches a pass as the Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I know everyone wants to point at five or six schools. I bet there are 25 schools that are paying a ton of money at this point, right?” Sarkisian said to Low.

With the expansion of the College Football Playoff, more teams have the opportunity to earn a bid in hopes of a surprise run. This has seemingly affected how teams spend as well, as more programs see a window. Since the expansion from a four- to a 12-team playoff format, seven of the eight semifinalists have been seeded outside the top four.

“I mean, and I’m not naming names, but the list is long. … You’ve got to pay a lot of money just to get in the game. So the teams that have a chance to win it, and I don’t know what that number ends up being. Call it 25, but everybody’s in that game. And if you say you’re not, then you’re not being truthful.”

Texas was notably active in the transfer portal this offseason, adding several big-time names on offense, including wide receiver Cam Coleman, running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers and offensive linemen Laurence Seymore and Melvin Siani.

Linebacker Rasheem Biles was another big addition to Texas’s defense, but retaining talent is also a challenge as players are utilizing the transfer portal more than ever. Returners like quarterback Arch Manning, offensive tackle Trevor Goosby and edge rusher Colin Simmons give the Longhorns real star power.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

According to Pete Nakos of On3, the Longhorns were among the top spenders this offseason. While 10 of the 14 Power Four general managers and staffers On3 spoke with mentioned LSU as the top spender, Texas was not far behind, alongside Texas Tech and Miami (FL).

This is not a sudden change. In a similar survey conducted the previous offseason in 2025, Nakos reported that Texas was the only team mentioned by all 17 college football stakeholders. While some reports estimated that the Longhorns were a $40 million team last season, Sarkisian hinted that the number was closer to $25 million.

However, just because you are sitting at the high-roller table does not mean it will translate to success on the field. The Longhorns had an impressive 10–3 record (6–2 in the SEC) in 2025, but the team fell short of expectations. Texas aims to compete for SEC titles and make appearances in the College Football Playoff, and it failed at both milestones.

“This team is really competitive. They’re really tough, but they’re really together, which is unique in this era with so many new faces,” Sarkisian said to Low ahead of the 2026 season. “This team is close already. I can feel it. I don’t know if I could have said that a year ago. That team [in 2025] was not. It was very cliquish, almost.”

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts with quarterback Arch Manning during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Sarkisian put some of the blame on him for the shortcomings. He said that with so many new faces coming into the equation in January, he failed to establish a culture early in the season. This allowed players to settle into place, creating bad habits that he spent the season and offseason repairing.

In many ways, Texas’s big spending this offseason was done to remedy the ills of the previous season. With a focus on culture fits, scheme fits and players to fill holes in the roster, this season could have a more cohesive roster than last year.

However, Sarkisian cautioned against thinking that this is a game for the few. He compared it to the perception fans have of the MLB, saying that “there are no [Los Angeles] Dodgers,” but rather several big schools that are playing on a similar — if not the same — playing field.

“You’ve still got to make decisions, the right decisions on players. Because at the end of the day, none of us want to sit here and say, ‘That was dead money, that we committed a lot of money to this guy and he can’t play for us, or that he’s not a great person, or that he’s a cancer in the locker room, or that he doesn’t have the right work ethic, or that he doesn’t have the right toughness to play,’” Sarkisian told Low.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian claps during warmups before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

According to the Longhorns’ head man, college football has become a lite version of the NFL. One key difference, though, is that players are unfinished products, making the evaluation and scouting process so important and risky.

Both high school players who are learning to adjust to the next level and veteran players getting accustomed to new systems are still in development, Sarkisian said, including players like Coleman. “They’re not finished products. The finished products are in the league, not here,” he told Low.

The Longhorns have a big season ahead of them. Expectations are high again, but that is the standard that has been set. Texas, like many other schools, has spent big over the offseason as the program pursues a national title. However, there is plenty of competition that is not afraid to compete.

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