Josh Hoover Turns Down SEC Payday, Doubles Down on TCU and the Big 12

Speaking with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hoover was clear and decisive, saying, “I love Fort Worth. I love TCU. This is the place I want to be. I see TCU as a top program, and that’s why I came here. I came here to win a Big 12 championship, and I told my teammates I was going to be the quarterback here this year; the way I grew up, your word means something. That’s all there is to it.”

That commitment to loyalty and legacy was non-negotiable, even when the Volunteers dangled a more lucrative NIL package to lure him away.

The Tennessee offer came after the Volunteers lost Nico Iamaleava, leaving a void in their roster. Reports indicate Hoover was offered a deal worth over $1 million more than his existing NIL earnings. But for Hoover, the relationships he’d built, on-field goals, and cultural fit at TCU outweighed the financial gain.

“This is where I want to be,” Hoover continued. “My family is close. I love the people here. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. I want to go win the Big 12 championship.”

Hoover led TCU last season with 3,949 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and a 66.5% completion rate, establishing himself as one of the Big 12’s top returning quarterbacks. With two years of eligibility left, his goals remain ambitious: win a Big 12 title, make the College Football Playoff, and elevate TCU’s national profile.

In choosing TCU over a high-dollar SEC offer, Josh Hoover chose legacy over logos. That decision could have far-reaching consequences, echoing well beyond Fort Worth and shaping the narrative around the Big 12’s staying power.