In 2025, despite spending the second-highest amount, $28 million in NIL money, trailing only Texas, Joey McGuire’s squad didn’t fulfill the ultimate goal. But for the 2026 season, the goal is to leave nothing to chance, and Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt has made that clear. With that, the Red Raiders will take full advantage of the NIL landscape.

On Tuesday, speaking to the Red Raider Club, Hocutt laid out the upcoming season’s NIL plan. In direct revenue sharing with athletes, Texas Tech will commit the full $21.3 million allowed. They’ll also add nearly 80 new scholarships for non-revenue sports, a $2.5 million boost. To cap it off, toward NIL opportunities, up to $10 million in department revenue will be funneled.

Clearly, the Red Raiders are not backing down when it comes to going all in on stacking talented players and providing all the resources for the 2026 season. But that hefty investment can be questioned, as last year it didn’t fully pay off since the Raiders failed to bring a national title home.

“We at Texas Tech are going to continue to aggressively look for every competitive advantage that’s going to allow our trajectory to continue to climb during this unsettled period of college athletics,” said Hocutt.

NIL has shaken the CFB landscape, allowing players and staff to go anywhere. Given that, many have failed to structure and organize their approach in the NIL era. But the Texas Tech AD insists that only a collective effort can make it work because investing at that level isn’t a walk in the park.

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In this case, Hocutt broke it down into two buckets. ‘Bucket one’ refers to the school’s direct financial commitments from its own athletic budget. But that may not be enough to reach that level.

“Bucket one alone is not going to get it done,” stated Hocutt. “If we want to go to the CFP, if we want to go to the Orange Bowl, we want to go beyond; if we want to go back to the Elite Eight and further in basketball, bucket two is how we have to excel.”

‘Bucket two’ includes direct NIL sponsorships from Texas Tech supporters, including fan-driven opportunities and creative approaches. In this scenario, the presence of former Texas Tech OL Cody Campbell makes this move more possible. The billionaire contributed hugely to last year’s investment. Now, time will tell if his giving back to his alma mater helps McGuire achieve success or not.

Did that hefty investment pay off last season?

Joey McGuire had signed a 2025 roster that costs more than $28 million, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. LB David Bailey’s estimated NIL value was $1.2 million, while Felix Ojo signed a three-year, $5.1 million contract. Then, QB Behren Morton’s NIL value hovered near $1 million.

That investment partially paid off for the Raiders in 2025. They captured their first Big 12 title, crushing BYU 34–7 and locking up the No. 4 seed in the CFP. That win earned them a first-round bye. Then, on New Year’s Day, came the Orange Bowl. That’s where the Raiders took a hit.

The Ducks shut the door with a 23–0 win in the CFP quarterfinal. The hope of winning the national title ended there for Texas Tech. But with that hefty investment, they made their first-ever CFP appearance. Now, we will see if the eight-figure investment for the 2026 season is able to bring them the national title or not.