Houston men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson didn’t hold back during his postgame press conference following the No. 8 Cougars’ victory over UCF. He took the opportunity to raise alarm bells regarding his school’s athletic department’s financial situation.
“We’re struggling,” Sampson stated. “When I arrived, the situation was dire, and it hasn’t changed. I believe we probably have the lowest budget in the Power Four.”
This “Power Four” group—comprising the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12—has come to represent the pinnacle of the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), especially after the recent shake-up involving the Pac-12.
Sampson’s assessment aligns somewhat with the latest NCAA financial disclosures. According to these, the University of Houston reported $98.9 million in total athletics operating expenses for the fiscal year 2025. This amount, noted in Sportico’s database on college sports finances, places Houston below nearly all Power Four institutions’ spending for FY24—except for UCF, which announced $94.5 million in athletics expenditures for FY25.
However, Sampson’s complaints lose some weight when you look specifically at the men’s basketball program.
Despite tight budgetary conditions, Houston reported an expenditure of $14.6 million for its men’s basketball program in FY25, which marks a $2 million increase from the previous year’s $12.6 million. This figure alone surpassed the budgets of at least 26 other current Power Four basketball programs.
In broader terms, while Houston may not stack up against its competitors in overall athletic resources, the men’s basketball program stands out as a significant exception. Transforming into the school’s premier athletic asset, it advanced to the NCAA national championship game last season, and indications point to another strong season ahead.
After exiting the American Athletic Conference, Houston made the leap to the Big 12 in July 2023, alongside UCF, BYU, and Cincinnati.
Since this transition, Cincinnati has seen its overall athletics spending surpass that of its American Athletic Conference counterparts turned Big 12 members, with FY25 operating expenses reaching $119.3 million—a notable 13.4% increase from the prior year.
During his postgame comments, Sampson emphasized that his players are well-compensated through NIL and revenue-sharing arrangements. He has actively sought innovative solutions to direct funds toward athletes. As reported previously by Sportico, Houston was at the forefront of this effort, being the first school to commit to participating in the NIL-paying Players Era Festival in 2024.
