Not every college program can buy its way to success. Oftentimes, a looming financial crisis can shake the program. The Bruins are not only struggling on the field, they’re also registering some troubling financial problems. In 2024, the Bruins showed up with a yearly deficit of $51.85 million. And now, even though Nico Iamaleava is here to take charge, a sleeping financial juggernaut is here to upset things. After flaunting their bills, the rivals have now made away with an important UCLA staff member.

UCLA is not doing well financially. The school tossed $30 million into the athletic department, in hopes of making up the glaring deficit that’s been piling up for years now. They’ve now racked up more than 200 million deficit in total, and the 6 consecutive year they’ve incurred one. But with Nico Iamaleava in the mix, they do stand some chance of getting some relief. The Iamaleava factor, coupled with UCLA’s move to the Big 10, is expected to generate significant revenue. Apart from being a star QB, he also came into the limelight for other reasons. And both will make him a forever talking point in football.

But it’s a little too late for UCLA. While the program gets its bearings back, Oklahoma and Jim Nagy have scored a key hire from the Bruins. OU is banking on its overflowing pockets to steal UCLA’s Director of Player Personnel, Stacey Ford. The front office exec was heading the department that brought Iamaleava over, which makes his loss a major blow for the Bruins. He will find a familiar face in Offensive Coordinator Ben Arbuckle, with whom Ford worked at Washington State. Ford will be the latest addition to a staff system, currently undergoing a lot of change under Jim Nagy.

UCLA finished 5-7 in its debut season in its new conference, under new HC DeShaun Foster. The school was in high hopes that the advancement to a major conference would bring results. Ticket sales were down by $3,78 million, because two home games were cut. Also, the in-state rivalry game with USC happened away from Pullman. But now that Nico Iamaleava is taking the snap, can the program see a renewed interest from its fans?

Oklahoma, with its $200 million earnings from last year alone, is indicating a major shift with Jim Nagy at the helm. Football ticket sales reached an impressive $41 million. Though Venables and Co. registered an underwhelming season, the hopes were high for Sooners football to deliver. And with the way things are progressing at Oklahoma, money will keep raining down on the university.

The program and Jim Nagy are working relentlessly to overcome their 2024 challenges and have a message for John Mateer.

Jim Nagy sends a strong message to Oklahoma QB John Mateer

Oklahoma is doubling down on smart hires. A lot rides on the shoulders of QB John Mateer. Nagy said, “You know, getting John Mateer—he’s a difference maker. You gotta have that guy if you’re gonna win at a really high level, um, and which they’ve done at Oklahoma. You just look in recent history. And now to bring in John, I think he’s kind of the next one in line. And I wouldn’t—I’m not trying to put pressure on John, he and I have talked about this—but he’s built for that. I’m not putting any pressure on John. He’s a great quarterback, and so that’s—I think there’s a lot of excitement, you know, because of John and some of the additions, as there should be.”

Mateer, by the looks of it, can be the next big Oklahoma QB to join the NFL chatter. And Nagy knows the league very well. He knows the calibre required for a player to be there. Mateer stands a chance to follow in the legacy of Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, and other Sooners QBs who made it big in the league. “[What] he has that a lot of quarterbacks—I don’t think you can coach it…he’s gonna be a great leader for this team,” Nagy added in his praise for the QB.

Oklahoma will make a splash this season, given the way they have been relentlessly practicing. The results will show financially as well. Hopes are increasing slowly for the Sooners, as fans grow confident in the effort the program is putting in. Two different programs, and two different financial trajectories. What must UCLA do to keep up with a program like Oklahoma, which made all of that money without any star power like Nico Iamaleava?