In a recent conversation with KCSN’s John Kurtz and Cole Manbeck, one of the most connected voices in college basketball, the Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, mentioned where he believes one Big 12 team’s NIL budget stacks up.
The team Goodman referred to was Jerome Tang’s Kansas State Wildcats, who he believes currently have a top-five NIL budget in college basketball.
“Part of the deal right now is what? Raising money,” Goodman said. “Getting out there and connecting. He’s [Jerome Tang] done it for two years, guys. That’s hard to do at a place like K-State, where football is still king. He’s found a way to raise money.”
With Jerome Tang and the Wildcats constructing a roster of several high-name prospects through the transfer portal, paired with visits from multiple five-stars in the Class of 2025, much speculation regarding the Wildcats’ financial standing has spawned. Players like Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins, Michigan’s Dug McDaniel, Kentucky’s Ugonna Onyenso, Samford’s Achor Achor, and more have all contributed to the NIL budget conversations that continue to pick up in Manhattan.
“I would bet the house that I just sold in Boston,” Goodman continued. “I would bet my house on the fact that they’re top five in NIL dollars, and might even be in the top three. And that says a lot about Jerome Tang; in a short time, he’s been able to connect with the people that matter. The guy is elite-level at connecting with people.”
While fundraising money doesn’t directly correlate to success on the basketball court, Kansas State enters the 2024-25 season with a rebuilt roster, more than capable of competing for a Big 12 Championship.
