The Houston Cougars are flying high in the Big 12 Conference this season, with an overall record of 20-2 and a Conference record of 8-1. They are currently a game behind the Arizona Wildcats, whom they will face in the regular season ahead in what could be a showdown for the top spot in the Big 12.

The University of Houston is in its most successful era in Men’s College Basketball under Kelvin Sampson. Since his arrival, the college program has earned 6 Conference regular season titles and 3 Conference Tournament titles. In 2025, the Houston Cougars came close to winning the NCAA Tournament, too, falling short by two points to Florida.

However, with college programs, one eye is always on the next season and on who they can recruit to their program, beating other top colleges to highly rated prospects. Head Coach Kelvin Sampson had choice words for the Houston budget, labelling the athletic department ‘poor’.

The clip quickly gained traction, generating hundreds of replies and quote-posts within hours, with many fans accusing Sampson of hypocrisy given Houston’s recent recruiting success.

The 70-year-old coach was blunt, saying financial limits, not roster needs, could eventually force Houston to stop recruiting. The Cougars’ Head Coach lamented the new reality of college programs, especially with other programs spending increasingly high amounts, thanks to the NIL rules.

Fans find Sampson’s comments hypocritical and point towards Houston’s reality

While the NIL rules have seen a stark increase in recruiting spending for top colleges, fans were quick to point out what Houston itself has done in the past year.

One fan said,” Brother signed 3 5 stars last class and is saying he has less money than Boston College,” while another highlighted, “That’s kinda crazy. Houston returned the starting backcourt of a Final Four team and added three top-20 recruits.

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The Houston Cougars recruited Chris Cenac Jr., Kingston Flemings, and Isiah Harwell to their program, with all three freshmen currently an active part of the rotation under Sampson. To add to it, Houston managed to retain the entire backcourt that led them to the NCAA Tournament Final as well, with the likes of Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan still part of the starting five.

Fans also alluded to Sampson’s attempt to secure more funds. One fan said,” not remotely true, but I respect the effort to secure more funds.”

The Cougars can yet fall back on Bryce Jackson and Chase McCarty, two freshmen who haven’t played for Houston so far. To add to it, they have secured two commits for the next year, Ikenna Alozie and Arafan Diane. However, with 4 seniors set to leave the program after this year, Sampson’s effort to get more funds and add more players makes sense.

Another fan pointed out how broken the entire college system has become of late. “Fact that coaches are begging for more money to pay players — just tells you that the whole damn system is broken,” they said.

One fan chose to point out the reality around Sampson and his own deal with the Cougars. “The ‘poorest’ athletic department in Power 4 gave its MBB coach an extension that puts him tied for 2nd-highest salary in Big 12,” they remarked.

Kelvin Sampson is on a four-year $23.5 million deal and is set to earn a base amount of $5.5 million for the season, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in Men’s College Basketball right now. For Sampson to say what he has about their athletic department while being given one of the highest packages in Men’s College Basketball right now is a bit ironic.