"We have a very poor athletic department. We're poor. We were poor when I got here and we're still poor. We probably have the lowest budget of anybody in Power 4. The way our recruiting is going, we have to stop at some point because we don't have the money to keep bringing in many good players. And that's not easy for us to do."
"Looking ahead to the 2025-26 year, we are embracing the new era of college athletics with a positive mindset of bold ambition, strategic investment, and relentless pursuit of excellence. We are not just keeping pace with change; we are setting the standard. Whether it's pushing boundaries in performance, academic success, or community engagement, our standard is simple: excellence in everything we do. While revenue-sharing with student-athletes is now officially upon us, it is critical that we also maintain NIL opportunities for our student-athletes."
The eighth-ranked Houston Cougars defeated UCF 79-55 while facing budgetary constraints within the athletic department. The program is characterized as having one of the lowest budgets among Power 4 schools, limiting the ability to continue extensive recruiting. A USA Today database ranked Houston 56th in Division I athletics with $78 million in 2024 revenue, roughly one-third of rival Texas' athletic budget. Athletic leadership issued a July call to action to raise additional revenue for NIL opportunities and described plans for strategic investment and maintaining NIL access. Despite financial limits, the roster includes high-profile five-star recruits and early top-35 signees for 2026.
Read at ESPN.com
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