Gophers men’s basketball: NIL and revenue sharing issues will remain regardless of coach

The Gophers mens basketball program welcomed back more than 70 former players for alumni weekend recently a sign of support for the U and head coach Ben Johnson, whose seat has warmed amid another losing Big Ten record in his fourth year.

Johnson was asked how alumni can help him continue to build the program.

He thanked them, then quickly changed the subject.

Alumni is great.

I love to have them around came to practice, came to the game, Johnson said of the 69-60 loss to then-last place Penn State a week ago.

I just want everybody to know the best support I dont care if youre alumni, if youre a fan, a season-ticket holder its financial.

The Gophers have more urgent needs: not finishing in the bottom three in conference standings and missing out on the 15-team Big Ten tournament.

But Johnsons point was to emphasize how name, image and likeness (NIL) funding is the foundational piece to the success of any program and how that must improve at Minnesota.

That will be true whether Johnson is retained for a fifth season or athletics director Mark Coyle brings in a new coach.

After last season, two key players were plucked off the U roster, with bigger NIL paydays contributing to center Pharrel Payne going to Texas A&M and Elijah Hawkins heading to Texas Tech.

A key question pertaining to Johnsons future is how much those losses from Coyles perspective are chalked up to reasons versus excuses for a rollercoaster season that has included some nice wins but more head-scratching losses and a poor record at Williams Arena.

I hate harping about it, Johnson said about NIL funding overall.

Im not trying to complain about it.

I know fans hate hearing about it sometimes.

But that is the honest-to-God reality.

You look across the college landscape, especially in the spot that were in ...

particularly in mens basketball.

That is the driving factor, the support that you can get financially.

ESPN reported this week that if Johnson sticks around, hes expected to have more NIL to spend on next years roster.

But the Pioneer Press has learned its premature to know the amount of money that might be available to spend.

Its also unclear to what extent boosters and NIL collective Dinkytown Athletes are waiting to know what Johnsons future might be before deciding how much they are willing to spend for next season.

That doesnt mean they are calling for his head, either.

But there is certainty the Gophers roster will need a nearly complete overhaul this offseason.

At least seven seniors, including all five starters, are out of eligibility in 2024-25.

Dawson Garcia, one of the Big Tens leading scorers with a 19.6-points-per-game average, took a hometown discount to stay at Minnesota for his final year.

The Savage native is earning approximately $500,000, compared to $1 million he could have received elsewhere.

Garcia is believed to make up roughly half of the Us mens basketball NIL total.

Talents such as the 6-foot-11 Garcia are not cheap and hard to replace.

The Gophers coaching staff and Dinkytown Athletes will need to attract and sign a handful of talented or developing players from the lower levels of college basketball or within the Power Four conferences.

This is on top of a few returning players and three incoming high school freshmen.

Next year, college teams will start to build rosters via revenue sharing from their own athletics department.

Each school in the Big Ten is estimated to be able to distribute $20 million annually to its student-athletes through revenue sharing.

How that money is divvied up by schools remains to be determined.

The Athletic said that Georgias athletics department is expecting to spend at least $13.5 million (66%) on football players.

Johnson said Friday that decisions on distribution levels at Minnesota are being made at an administrative level.

He didnt share how it might break down at the U.

The addition of revenue sharing opens up some doors, and thats great, Johnson said.

But, he added, now, all these people know that theres rev share involved.

So, what do you think thats going to do to the price of things, right? Agents arent dumb.

Kids arent dumb.

Like, when they see the numbers of what is being thrown out there as possible rev share, and they see what the Big Ten and the SEC have in terms of money? If youre an agent and youre a parent or a player, whats the first thing youre thinking? Its going to drive up the price.

The addition of revenue sharing is expected to tighten the currently wide NIL gap between the Gophers and their deeper-pocketed competition.

Instead of being outspent by, say, four times as much right now, perhaps the U is only outspent by 50%.

When it comes to the overall athletics department budget at the U, the need to begin revenue sharing next year might hinder its ability and/or willingness to pay the $3 million buyout Johnson would be owed if the U fires him this spring..

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