Steve Sarkisian calls out ‘irresponsible’ report on Texas’ NIL budget

As a blueblood program, the Texas Longhorns undoubtedly have the resources to build a powerhouse in Austin. But according to head coach Steve Sarkisian, the recent estimates of the program’s NIL budget have been wildly overstated.

Last month, Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle reported via an anonymous source that Texas is set to spend “between $35 and $40 million” on their roster for the 2025 season, which would reportedly come both from the programs NIL collective and a proposed revenue-sharing model once the House Settlement that allows institutions to revenue-share with athletes.

On Tuesday, Sarkisian addressed these figures during an appearance on SEC This Morning at the SEC Spring Meetings, calling the reporting “irresponsible” and dismissing the idea that the Longhorns operate with that kind of financial firepower.

“What’s frustrating on that was that it was a little bit of irresponsible reporting,” Sarkisian said. “It was one anonymous source said that’s what our roster was. I wish I had $40 million on our roster, we’d probably be a little bit better team than we are. The idea to think that a lot of other aren’t spending money to get players, it’s the state of college football right now. It is what it is. And we’re fortunate, don’t get me wrong. We’ve got great support. Chris Del Conte, our athletic director, does a fantastic job. And our donors, people, are excited.

“We have been to the CFP two years in a row, and we’ve had 20-something guys drafted the last two years. So it’s been great. It’s been a great run. I wish I had another $15 million or so; we might have a little better roster. But what’s crazy about this day and age that you guys operate in. And I’ve watched this for 25 years now — the evolution of Twitter and social media, and podcasts. One guy writes an article from an anonymous source that says that’s what our roster is. Everybody ran with it. And I’m talking real publications, ran with it… Nobody asked me one question. Okay, sure, but if that’s the narrative you want to paint for our team. That’s fine, whatever.”

“It was a little bit of irresponsible reporting… I wish I had 40 million on our roster, we’d probably be a little bit better.”
@CoachSark talked about the report regarding the cost of his roster at #SECSpringMeetings!
@PeterBurnsESPN | @ChrisDoering | @JacobHester18 pic.twitter.com/0DZelKr9SK

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) May 27, 2025

It’s worth noting that the House v. NCAA settlement, which could potentially allow programs to share up to $20.5 million annually with players, has yet to be finalized. Should it pass, Texas’s spending could edge closer to those reported figures.

For now, though, Sarkisian clearly wants to be the one fielding questions about Texas’s budget, not anonymous sources.