BYU Basketball among top NIL spenders heading into new season
Kevin Young and the BYU men’s basketball squad just wrapped up their third-ever Sweet 16 appearance and are rebuilding for another shot. As one of the nation’s higher-spending programs, BYU was named among the elite with a $10 million roster valuation.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander included BYU in a “golden tier” of ten schools, two of which are in the Big 12. The Cougars were listed with Arkansas, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, St. John’s, and Texas Tech as major spenders in the NIL landscape.
“These days, the sport is regularly producing millionaire athletes,” wrote Norlander. “Navigating the portal for roster building is harder than ever—but also easier. The more financial resources you have compared to your competition, the better your odds of landing the top players.”
“Over 2,000 men’s Division I basketball players have entered the portal in the last three-plus weeks (which closes April 22). The vast majority are looking for improved opportunities—especially financially. That’s the dominant force behind most of these moves. It’s all about money—over and over again.”
BYU has landed two of the highest-rated players from recent classes. Freshman AJ Dybantsa, a top recruit for 18 months, reportedly received over $7 million in NIL deals to attend BYU, though he denied that number. The Cougars also just signed Baylor transfer Robert Wright, the top high school guard last year, as a projected successor to Egor Demin, who’s heading to the NBA. Wright was allegedly offered $3.5 million.
“Five years ago, over 4,400 Division I men’s basketball athletes earned a collective total of $0 from NIL,” Norlander continued. “Now, promised NIL earnings are well into the hundreds of millions.”
College basketball continues to adapt amid financial turbulence. But each season feels more like a “pay-for-play” environment. Some even argue that the age of March Madness underdogs may be ending, as the best NIL deals steer talent to powerhouse schools. This offseason is shaping up to be the most unpredictable yet.
For BYU, the NIL era is opening new doors. More elite players are choosing Provo, and the program is gaining national momentum.
