Y’all ever notice how when a coach turns an underdog SEC program into a winner, the big-money schools start lurking like hyenas? It’s the same old playbook: take a team from mid-major to major, have a couple of 10-win seasons, and the bluebloods with the big budgets come sniffing around. It’s the nature of the game—big fish eat little fish. And right now, SEC’s coach is looking like a prime wagyu rib to some cash-loaded, desperate programs. That’s just how the game goes. And guess what? The SEC’s real Tigers might be next up on that chopping block while the $56.3 threat creeps close.

On February 16th, SEC insider “SEC Mike” and his co-host Cousin Shane hopped on That SEC Podcast and got real about which program is hotter for the next two years—Mizzou or South Carolina? Shane, at first, was all-in on Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks. “I’m taking South Carolina,” he said, giving Beamer his flowers for taking the program to a solid 9-4 season.

“Because I think they’re closer to being elite than Mizzou was, and you see it just in the stadium alone, Williams-Brice Stadium, and now they’re just now remodeling, you know, Mizzou Field.” Fair point. South Carolina’s been cooking this season, with Beamer and freshman QB LaNorris Sellers leading the charge. If not for a 2-point loss to Bama or a 3-point heartbreaker against LSU early in the season, they could’ve been in the playoffs. Instead, they ended the year catching a straight-up embarrassing L to No. 20 Syracuse in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, where Beamer literally threw hands with Orange HC Bret Bielema.

But then Shane switched up. When the convo shifted to Mizzou, he had to give Eliah Drinkwitz his due respect and props. “The reason I put Drink ahead of them is because I’m building something, and I just feel like when it’s all said and done, if Drink walks away another season, another 10-win season here, Mike, you talk about the job offers. They better really pay him well because it’s going to be tough to keep him in Columbia.” Facts. Look at Kalen DeBoer—man took Washington to the National Championship in ‘23, and boom, Bama snatched him up. That’s how this business works.

Eliah Drinkwitz has been in his bag at Mizzou, too. Back-to-back killer seasons: 11-2 in 2023, 10-3 in 2024. They sat fourth in the SEC, which, let’s be real, is the toughest conference in American sports. Oh, and don’t forget—they ended ‘23 by beating Ohio State in a bowl game. This past season? Knocked off Iowa in the Music City Bowl, 27-24, making their first-ever appearance in that game. Even crazier, they went undefeated at home for the first time since 2010. Every. Single. Home. Game. Sold. Out. Last time that happened? 1979. That’s what consistency does. That’s what makes big-money schools take notice.

Mizzou’s $56.3 million diabolical threat

Aight, let’s talk finance for a minute now. Here’s where things get dicey. See, all that success means Mizzou’s raking in the dough. In the fiscal year, including the ‘23 season, Mizzou football revenue jumped 25%, bringing in a massive $56.3 million. But, with big checks come big expenses—football costs shot up 45%. So yeah, the Tigers cashed in, but their profit margin got slim real quick.

And it ain’t just football. Mizzou Athletics reported a $15.2 million deficit in 2024. Of their entire $183.2 million budget, $52.8 million went straight to football. That’s damn near one-third of their revenue and one-fourth of their spending. Football is the moneymaker, but if they keep hemorrhaging cash elsewhere, it’s gonna be a problem.

A prime example? The men’s basketball team was atrocious—literally 0-19 in SEC play, their worst losing streak ever. That program alone lost about $750K, not even counting the $2.5 million in severance checks they had to cut to ex-HC Cuonzo Martin. Women’s hoops? Not much better. Their ticket sales dropped 9%, and they lost almost $4.5 million. It’s like football’s the golden goose, but the rest of the house is falling apart.

So what does that mean for Mizzou football? Well, when you got a coach like Eliah Drinkwitz delivering back-to-back 10-win seasons while the rest of the athletic department is floundering, you got a problem. Programs that ain’t seeing that kind of success but got the deep pockets are already circling. If he does it again in 2025? Man, someone’s gonna pull up with a Brinks truck.

UM System President Mun Choi even admitted that football success directly impacts enrollment and applications. “There’s no mathematical formula to determine how much of that (increase in applications and enrollment) was due to football, but I would say football had a big role in just increasing the reach of the university,” he said. Translation? Football makes money, and keeping Drinkwitz means keeping that cash flowing.

So, what’s next? Mizzou’s administration better start playing chess, not checkers. Whether it’s locking in Eliah Drinkwitz with a fat extension or putting together a master plan to keep the $56.3 mil momentum rolling, they can’t afford to fumble this bag. Because in the SEC, if you’re not paying up, someone else will. And Missouri? They’re officially on the clock.