College football analyst David Pollack Hannah Mattix/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

David Pollack offers unfiltered take on Texas Tech’s $55 million NIL push

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By JC Shelton | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 5:42 PM ET

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are going all in on their college football roster this year in one of the offseason's biggest surges.

Much was made about national champion Ohio State's $25 million roster that propelled the Buckeyes to the top of the sport last season. And Texas built what is believed to be a 2025 roster worth $45 million headed into the upcoming season.

But Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, general manager James Blanchard and billionaire booster/collective head Cody Campbell have reportedly surpassed those marks with a roster costing around $55 million this year.

The $20.5 million rev-share cap and lofty collective support have made the Red Raiders into a major NIL power.

College football analyst David Pollack, a former ESPN personality and three-time All-American at Georgia, isn't surprised by the Red Raiders' NIL spending spree.

“I've said this for years, the biggest beneficiary in NIL is the state of Texas because the money – it's just very, very fluid there," Pollack said on "See Ball Get Ball." "And so they went out and spent $55 million – I think is the last number I saw – on their squad to ultra competitive. They spent hundreds of millions of dollars, actually 240-plus million, on their stadium that's one of the best in the country."

Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Campbell, who made his multi-billion dollar fortune in the Texas oil business, helped raise $242 million for renovations to Texas Tech's Jones AT&T Stadium. It's clear that the rising Big 12 program wants to be in national contention given the millions of dollars in NIL backing and significant improvement to the Red Raiders' home turf.

"They got everything they own in the pot, saying 'we're going to try to win this league and make a name for ourselves,'" Pollack said.

Only time will tell if Texas Tech's gamble will pay off, though, as McGuire and Co. have posted a 23-16 record over the last three seasons and are coming off an 8-5 finish in 2024.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the 2025 season is creating cohesiveness within a roster that features 21 transfer players.

Texas Tech will open the season at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+).

This article first appeared on NIL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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