University of Houston men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson will be the first to tell you, that he never thought he would see the day when boosters were allowed under NCAA rules to pay student-athletes.
But the longtime coach never thought he would see the shot clock or the 3-point line enter the game, either.
The NCAA’s 2021 decision to allow athletes to profit off their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) changed the landscape of college athletics. College athletes are allowed to make money—and in some cases lots of it.
“You don’t sit around and complain or wish for better days,” Sampson told the Defender. “You just strap it on every day and try to get better. I accept it (NIL rule). We accepted the NIL as soon as it came out. I think the schools that did not fell behind.
“I’m not in a position to critique or say if it’s good or bad. It’s not important how you feel individually. What’s important is how you embrace it. Your kids need to know that you embrace it, too. You don’t want to be in a position where you are begrudgingly doing something and then holding this against them.”
Most kids in college are probably making more money now than they ever will in their life. So it’s important that they save. It’s important that they understand that there will be a day when this is not going to be there.
UH men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson
Before 2021, a school would have found itself on the wrong side of the NCAA regulations if boosters were caught paying student-athletes for their time or use of their name, image and likeness. But now boosters nationwide are forming collectives and pooling their riches to pay athletes in all sports. Power conference athletes from the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC can make anywhere from $10,000 to over $1,000,000 annually, depending on how deep the booster’s pockets go. Student-athletes can also make money through advertising deals or when their images and likenesses are captured in video games.
In Texas, University of Texas quarterback Archie Manning is making $3.1 million a year without being the official starter, while starting quarterback Quin Ewers is making $2.3, according to On3. Houston native L.J. Cryer, who has played for Sampson the last two seasons, is among the top five highest-paid players in the state, totaling $769,000 annually in NIL deals.
Women are also getting paid, with LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne topping the list, TCU forward Sedona Prince, and Houston natives Meezy O’Neal (University of Florida) and Madisen Skinner (UT) among the highest-paid women athletes.
“I don’t think anybody who has a very, very talented roster is not depending on NIL,” Sampson said. “A lot of kids are making good choices by going to programs that fit them so they are not taking the best offer. I think our league reflects that.
“Our league uses the NIL. It’s important to us, it’s important to every program. There is not a Top 20 or Top 25 team in the nation that doesn’t use NIL.”
It’s a standard belief that student-athletes deserve more money than just their scholarships for free education, with schools and conferences making billions of dollars off football and men’s basketball each year. But there have been some downsides to instant riches and the pursuit of riches, with student-athletes now able to hop from school to school via the NCAA Transfer Portal to chase more NIL money.
Then there is the concern of putting so much money in the hands of 18 and 19-year-olds who may not be ready for that much responsibility or the high federal and state tax obligations that come with earning substantial money. And then there are the concerns with the trappings and distractions that come along with making hundreds of dollars while still being a student-athlete taking classes.
Most schools across the country provide help and financial guidance for the student-athletes and their families but with the NIL still being so new, it’s uncertain how effective that has been. But Sampson says he and his staff have taken full responsibility in guiding the Cougars’ basketball players.
Every year, the Cougars’ basketball staff holds a Zoom call for all of the players’ families to ensure they understand the responsibilities and provide them with help.
“It’s not the school. It’s the basketball program. It starts with the head coach. Schools don’t coach these teams. Coaches do. Schools don’t deal with the players. The people that deal with my players are my staff and that’s who they lean on and we lean on each other. I’ve said this many times, I think we do a great job here with financial literacy. Most of these kids don’t know what credit cards are, they don’t know what 1099s are or W-2s or what taxes are; federal tax, state tax, income tax or anything. I had no idea when I was their age. I didn’t know.
“But because the NIL has become such an important part of team building and roster building, I think it’s incumbent upon the staff … I think all of the staffs across the country do a great job. We certainly are not unique in anything here. But it is part of your responsibility to educate these kids and also their families.”
Here is a look at some of the biggest deals around the state of Texas:
Student Athlete: L.J. Cryer
Sport: Men’s basketball
School: University of Houston
NIL Money: $769, 000
NIL Deals: Linking Coogs (NIL collective), SKIMS
Student Athlete: Kelvin Banks
Sport: Football
School: University of Texas
NIL Money: $944,000
Known deals: Texas One Fund (NIL collective)
Student Athlete: Nic Scourton
Sport: Football
School: Texas A&M
NIL Money: $729,000
Known deals: Texas Aggies United (NIL collective)
Student Athlete: Tahj Brooks
Sport: Football
School: Texas Tech
NIL Money: $621,000
Known deals: EA Sports, The Matador Club (NIL collective)
Student Athlete: Brandon Baker
Sport: Football
School: University of Texas
NIL Money: $650,000
Known deals: Texas One Fund (NIL collective)
