Texas Football Bets Big on NIL for 2025

The Texas Longhorns football program plans to spend between $35 million and $40 million on its 2025 roster, channeling much of the investment through the Texas One Fund to support approximately 60 players. High-profile quarterback Arch Manning leads with an NCAA-high NIL valuation of $6.6 million. Texas aims to leverage this unprecedented spending to compete as a top contender in the SEC and for a national championship, though experts note that quarterback performance will be key to success. While such aggressive expenditures set a new benchmark in college football, both university officials and analysts question the long-term sustainability of these investments, anticipating future shifts toward more regulated revenue-sharing models. The upcoming Texas-Kentucky matchup is expected to highlight the widening financial disparities between programs resulting from NIL deals. Overall, Texas' strategy underscores how money is increasingly shaping the landscape of college sports.