Texas is reportedly spending a mountain of money on their 2025 roster. For Tennessee athletic director Danny White, a direct competitor of the Longhorns in the SEC, that means a mountain of competition.
White tried to reassure Volunteers fans that despite the Longhorns’ reported $35 to $40 million in NIL spending on their roster, according to Kirk Bohls of “The Houston Chronicle,” they’re doing everything they can to compete in the SEC.
Tennessee AD Responds to Reports of Texas Spending Big on NIL for 2025 Roster
The massive figure, which counts the likely revenue-sharing allotment — expected to be $20.5 million — and payouts through the Texas One Fund — Texas’ NIL fund — includes a massive figure to quarterback Arch Manning, Bohls reported.
Manning — the highest-paid player on the roster “by far” — has signed multiple NIL deals with brands including Red Bull, Uber and EA Sports, but “doesn’t take a dime from the school,” according to Bohls.
White said that although it’s hard to find out what reports are accurate, the Volunteers are doing their best to stay ahead of the pack on NIL.
“I think it’s hard to know what’s true,” White said. “Numbers have been thrown out. We are as competitive as anyone else in the NIL space. We came out the gate as a leader, and continue to have our foot on the gas. Knowing how our resources have grown — in the last four years, we’ve grown from $140 million in annual revenue, to where when we close our books this year, closer to $280 million, almost double. That’s this fanbase. That’s why we’re here doing this.”
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“Whatever the rules of engagement are, if it’s about investing in our teams, and making sure that they have every advantage possible, that’s what we’re going to do. We’re a competitive administration. We have competitive coaches. We’re not generating all this revenue to make me feel good, we’re generating revenue to investment in our programs and compete at a high level.”
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