In Reply to: Talent Evaluation or NIL Limits? posted by SMBruin on February 16, 2026 at 11:37:20
A better question:
Top 10 Coaches Poll Team's NIL vs. UCLA:
💰 Estimated NIL Resources (2025-26): Top 10 vs. UCLA
Approximate NIL spending/support represents collective backing for player deals/roster compensation — this is based on publicly reported trackers (estimates, not official disclosures):
Team Estimated NIL Spending Approx.
Michigan ~$8.8 M+
Houston ~$7.1 M+
Duke ~$8 M+
Arizona ~$8 M+
UConn ~$8 M+
Purdue ~$6 M+
Iowa State ~$5.5 M+
Gonzaga ~$5.5 M+
Nebraska ~$5 M+
Illinois ~$5 M+
UCLA ~$8 M (bracket with other high-resource programs)
📌 UCLA’s estimated NIL backing (~$8 M) places it around the upper tier (similar to Michigan, Duke, Arizona, UConn & Houston) rather than a lower-spending Group 2 team.
I did not expect this. I assumed it was an NIL issue, but that does not seem to be the case.