A recent X post hinted at the staggering name, image, and likeness (NIL) budgets for the 2025-26 season, with Duke, St. John’s, and Florida among the heavyweights. The numbers—$10 million or more for some, $8 million for others—have the fans reeling and sharing their mixed thoughts on the replies.
Massive NIL Budgets of College Football teams like Duke, St John’s Have Fans in Awe
Duke, St. John’s, and Arkansas top the NIL funding list, each wielding at least $10 million to lure talent, according to College Basketball Content on X. Florida, in a second tier with roughly $8 million, joins programs like UConn and Kansas.
College basketball programs that have at least $10 million or more in NIL funds for the 2025-26 season:
• Arkansas, BYU, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, UNC, St. John’s & Texas Tech
Programs a tier behind (rougly $8 million):
• Auburn, UConn, Florida,… pic.twitter.com/8jDspZPxzc
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) April 17, 2025
These figures, drawn from On3 and The Wall Street Journal, dwarf the $3-$4 million needed to stay competitive at high-major schools. Duke’s One Vision Futures Fund, backed by alumni like Jeff Fox, aims to keep coach Jon Scheyer’s roster as good as possible, especially with stars like Cooper Flagg projected as NBA lottery picks.
St. John’s, fueled by a billionaire booster, is set to play in a $1 million NIL event in Las Vegas, while Florida’s budget supports coach Todd Golden’s rebuild after a 2025 national title.
One fan on X wrote, “Weird seeing Michigan, St. John’s, and Texas Tech on a list with these caliber of teams,” questioning how programs with inconsistent success have such funds.
Another jabbed at Miami’s $8 million, tweeting, “The same team that finished 19/19 in the ACC…Whew, what a waste of money.” Michigan State fans, absent from the top tiers, were described as “in ruins,” while Texas Tech’s inclusion raised eyebrows: “How does Texas Tech have so much money?”
The numbers reflect a massive shift in the sport. With the House v. NCAA settlement allowing schools to share up to $20.5 million in revenue starting in 2025, basketball programs are reallocating booster funds from collectives to direct athlete payments.
Duke’s $21.4 million basketball budget, the second-highest among 2025 March Madness No. 1 seeds, signals its financial muscle. St. John’s, under Rick Pitino, has leveraged its Big East dominance, 31-5 in 2024-25, to attract deep-pocketed donors. Florida, fresh off a championship, is chasing transfers like Princeton’s Xaivian Lee to stay atop the SEC.
One fan made a wild speculation in the replies saying, “Anyone else have that feeling our tax dollars are funding this cr*p?” Others see opportunity, with a BYU supporter saying, “Interested in seeing what BYU can do. The Big 12 has been good for them.”
KEEP READING: ‘End the Portal’: Frustrations Mount Against Misuse of NIL As Truth Behind Denzel Aberdeen and Xaivian Lee Moves Emerge
As the transfer portal, open until April 22, 2025, fuels bidding wars, fans fear the gap between haves and have-nots is widening. “The rich get richer,” an SEC assistant told CBS Sports, estimating $200 million in NIL funds across 24 top programs.
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