Florida Transfer to be Paid as Much as Champion Head Coach After Major NIL Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated May 29, 2025 2:47 PM ET

One of the more pressing matters that occurs after a team wins a NCAA Tournament title is figuring out a way to rebuild immediately.

For the Florida Gators, despite some attrition, losing star guard and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. to the NBA and others to the portal, they have been thriving in talent acquisition and retention. Aside from seeing notable names such as Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon running it back, they added former five-star guard Boogie Fland from the transfer portal.

They also landed one of the most sought-after players in the portal in Princeton's Xaivian Lee. The roster that initially raised some concerns regarding how good they could be next season is now looking poised to be the preseason No. 1.

In addition to Lee ranking as one of the best players in the sport, he will also end up being one of the highest-paid players in the sport. As revealed on Thursday, Lee inked a historic NIL deal with Serious Player Only.

According to Nick DePaula, he becomes the first NCAA athlete to ink a deal with an international brand. However, the excitement and signs of evolution of the sport don't stop there.

BREAKING: Florida guard Xaivian Lee has signed a multi-year Signature Shoe deal with Serious Player Only to become the future face of the brand.✍️

Deal makes @XaivianLee the 1st NCAA NIL athlete to sign a shoe deal with an international brand. Includes PE shoe & apparel… pic.twitter.com/yK6xZyDNky
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) May 29, 2025

On3's Pete Nakos also revealed that Lee will make $6 million this upcoming year when you combine his earnings from Florida's NIL collective and his new NIL deal.

While $6 million is already a ton of money, to truly put into perspective how much a two-time First-team All-Ivy League selection is getting paid, it's only right to compare to Florida coach Todd Golden.

About a month after Golden led the Gators to a title, Golden inked a massive contract extension that will reportedly bump his pay from $4.1 million per year to $6 million per year. He will also get a $300,000 raise each year after 2025 according to AP, but for now, it means that his new star player and he will be earning the same.

For reference, Golden is the second-highest-paid coach in the SEC, trailing only Arkansas' John Calipari ($8 million). He is also the fifth-highest-paid coach in college basketball, which means Lee is paid more than hundreds of coaches.

While Lee, who averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game is truly worth the money, it is a bit shocking to see the power shift with NIL.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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