Texas Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian Reveals an Unfortunate, But Needed Truth

In a world with little transparency, as college football programs are allotted a revenue-sharing cap to compensate athletes directly, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian offered some insights not often discussed about how his program deals with the cap.

“To make the moves we make, to bring in a Cam Coleman, to bring in a Hollywood Smothers, to bring in a Raleek Brown, to bring in a Mike Masunas at tight end; we had to let DeAndre Moore go. We had to let Parker Livingstone go. We had to let Tre Wisner go. We had to let CJ Baxter go," Sarkisian said in an interview with the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum.

Essentially, cutting players isn’t anything new in college football, nor is encouraging players to look elsewhere. It’s been going on for years, even in the pre-NIL era down in the lower levels of football like Division II, where many players end up in a meeting with their head coach to be informed of their lost scholarship.

Now, the only difference is that instead of telling players they are losing a scholarship, they are being informed of a lower NIL offer than what they may desire.

For all the talk about the revenue-sharing cap and whether or not it is actually a cap being followed. Even those who do not choose to follow the rules could find themselves in the very position that Texas found itself this offseason.

A talented roster, bolstered by top-ranked recruiting classes, with a lot of good players but ones that, as a whole, underperformed relative to its cost.

With elite-level spending comes national championship expectations, and make no mistake about it, not many programs will spend for the roster Texas had a season ago and just be content with missing out on the College Football Playoff.

The Hard Truth

Jul 23, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, the Longhorns didn’t rest on their laurels after a 10-3 season. Sarkisian and Co. knew it had to improve in several areas, mainly along the offensive line, running back, and at wide receiver.

Not to mention, with the change at defensive coordinator, which brought Will Muschamp and his new scheme to Austin, there would be some overhauling of the personnel on defense. All of which means more money being spent.

College football economics is no different from the real world. When a team increases its spending in one area, it comes at the cost of other areas, especially when the budget is not limitless.

The Longhorns may have some of the nation’s deepest pockets. Yet, to land the likes of Cam Coleman, Raleek Brown, and Hollywood Smothers, among others, they couldn’t afford to go on paying the players they were brought in to replace.

While some will perceive Sarkisian’s comments as cold-blooded and a bad look for him and his program, this has been going on for years in the sport. The only difference is that now Sarkisian opted for transparency into how it all went down.

It is likely those same critics of the move call for more transparency in this revenue-sharing era, but this is an important reminder: don't ask how the sausage is made if you don't want to know the truth.

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