It comes as no surprise that Texas Tech is the biggest spender in the Big 12, but just how far behind is TCU? Can the Horned Frogs close that gap anytime soon?
It is no secret that Texas Tech has hefty pockets when it comes to NIL and transfer portal recruitments. And in this new era of college football, it does not have to be done as some shady dealing between boosters and prospects.
Despite the legality of it all, some take issue with just how much the Red Raiders are pouring into their program and how it leaves the rest of the Big 12 at a serious disadvantage.
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is one of these voices pointing out the discrepancy and recently went more in-depth during an interview with Matt Mosley at Big 12 Media Days.
Dykes remarked that the Horned Frogs spend "probably $20-25 million" less than their rivals in Lubbock when it comes to NIL and transfer portal acquisitions. He also stated that TCU is more focused with retaining and developing talent recruited from high school.
This mentality is much more aligned with the strategy that lasted for decades in college football, which saw high school recruiting reign supreme. While paying players and occasional transfers have always existed, the form it has taken on today is like nothing ever seen before.
Again, Texas Tech is doing nothing wrong by pushing so much into its program. And it has paid off for the Red Raiders so far, as they steamrolled their way to their first Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Horned Frogs have been there before too, winning a shared Big 12 title in 2014 and making a run all the way to the CFP National Championship Game in 2022.
But those all happened ahead of the complete reshaping of the sport due to NIL, transfers and conference realignment in the past few years.
While Dykes' mentality has paid off in the past, and to a greater extent than Texas Tech so far, it may be time for TCU to mimic a bit of the Red Raiders' formula.
Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell seems to think so. In a statement given to Yahoo's Ross Dellenger, Campbell said, "Everybody needs to do some version of what we've done. That's the path forward for this conference. A rising tide lifts all boats."
Now, TCU should not completely abandon the culture it has built, and truthfully, Dykes probably would not allow that to happen. But trying to fight Texas Tech, and to a greater extent, the new age of college football, is not going to get the Horned Frogs back into the conference's golden seat.
The biggest question left is can the Horned Frogs even compete with the big spending from Texas Tech? Even if not to the same exact level, TCU has been doing more with less for years and may be it just needs a little extra boost to give the Red Raiders a run for their money.
