Sure, the vast majority of college athletes rely on small, local marketing deals to make a few bucks. In this influencer age we live in, athletes are also now making money for sponsored social media posts by the boatload.
A step above that, however, it's been reported that the average college football player at a school in one of the “Power 5” conferences (Big 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Pac 12) will likely earn between $10,000 and $100,000 per year thanks to the deep pockets of what are called “NIL collectives,” groups of school donors that pool their money to pay players on their school’s team. But make no mistake, the money goes well beyond that. Let’s just say plenty of athletes have lots of money left over after picking up the bill for their friends at the local McDonalds.
As you might guess, the state of Texas has more than its fair share of athletes breaking the NIL bank these days, especially when it comes to the state’s top football programs. Two of the top five in the nation attend the University of Texas in Austin (Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers). The two gunslingers might soon welcome more money now that the Longhorns have reached the top sport in the college rankings on the strength of Manning and Ewers' showing so far this year.
Given the billions of dollars that college athletics generates every year, it's nearly impossible to argue against the athletes making a few bucks, so the new NIL era is a success in that regard. But according to 1310 The Ticket's Matt McClearin, who also writes about sports for the Observer, the big spending may have also served to make an old problem a bit worse.
"NIL has made the gap between the haves and have-nots bigger than ever," he says. "It's great that kids get paid, I love it, but it's the Wild West now. No one knows how to regulate it so the rich truly are richer."
The highest-earning athletes of North Texas from SMU, UNT and TCU are doing pretty well for themselves, but no local player comes close to cracking the Top 10 highest-earning athletes in Texas.
SMU tight end R.J. Maryland, son of former Dallas Cowboys star Russell Maryland, reportedly has $388,000 worth of NIL deals in 2024, according to On3.com, a site dedicated to covering high school and college athletics. UNT’s quarterback, Chandler Morris will reportedly net $314,000 this year, and the state’s top NIL-earning woman, Sedona Prince, is also TCU’s top overall earner with $321,000.
Let’s not forget the talented Texans who left our borders to show off their skills elsewhere. Jalen Milroe, the Alabama QB from Katy, will bring in $2.2 million, and Evan Stewart, from Liberty High School in Frisco, will make $1.3 million while playing football for the University of Oregon.
But who is slated to make the most in NIL money in Texas this year? Check out the list below to find out.*
- Arch Manning, University of Texas, Football: $3.1 million
Notable deals: Panini, EA Sports
- Quinn Ewers, University of Texas, Football: $2.3 million
Notable deals: New Era, Dr. Pepper, Athletic Brewing Company
- Kelvin Banks, University of Texas, Football: $944,000
Notable deals: Texas One Fund (NIL collective)
- Sam Hurley, University of Texas, Track: $941,000
Notable deals: Hollister, Raising Cane’s, Polo Ralph Lauren
- L.J. Cryer, University of Houston, Basketball: $769,000
Notable deals: Linking Coogs (NIL collective), SKIMs
- Isaiah Bond, University of Texas, Football: $763,00)
Notable deals: Lamborghini Austin, EA Sports
- Nic Scourton, Texas A&M University, Football: $729,00
Notable deals: Texas Aggies United (NIL collective)
- Brandon Baker, University of Texas, Football: $650,000
Notable deals: Texas One Fund (NIL collective)
- Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech University, Football: $621,000
Notable deals: EA Sports, The Matador Club (NIL collective)
- Conner Weigman, Texas A&M University, Football: $571,000
Notable deals: Hellman’s Mayo, EA Sports, Texas Aggies United (NIL collective)
*According to On3.com
