The Houston Cougars football team is struggling, and it looks like the people running the program have given up on fixing it. Following an encouraging eight-win season in the ACC, the team has stumbled through back-to-back four-win disasters. Under Coach Willie Fritz, even the offense went flatline, averaging a paltry 14 points and 152 passing yards per game, 133rd of 134 FBS teams. But now? They are just not given much value. While programs like Baylor move aggressively to revenue share to attract top-tier talent, Houston’s athletic director seems to be marching to the beat of his drum. If the Cougars don’t adapt quickly, they’ll fall behind.

College football’s revolutionary revenue-sharing model has athletic programs scrambling to adapt. Most allocate funds using a standard formula: 75% to football, 15% to men’s basketball, 5% to women’s basketball, and the remaining 5% to other sports. However, Houston’s new athletic director, Eddie Nuñez, is taking a different approach, prompting much speculation.

Talking about his revenue-sharing payout to the student-athletes for the different sports on the Houston Roundball Review Media Group podcast, Nunez revealed, “We’re pretty close. I would tell you we’re pretty close. Part of it is still understanding all the nuances. Again, as that got rolled out, the judge did her ruling—and as you’ve seen, things have continually been spun out from the CSC, the new College Sports Commission, and everything else. So we’re trying to put all that into perspective.” But then comes the bold take.

“It’s not going to be much different than what you’ve seen at some other institutions, with some of the percentages maybe a little bit more or less. As I said in the beginning, there’s going to be more for us on the basketball front than most schools are doing because we want to make sure we can sustain that,” Nunez added. Now, we all know the Cougars basketball is exceptionally talented, unlike their football team. Under HC Kevin Sampson, last season they were ranked 4th in the AP preseason top 25 list, and then they also won the Big 12 regular season against Cincinnati.

So, giving more shares to their basketball team makes sense. But it’s not like Eddie Nunez isn’t focusing on their football team. “At the same time, we’re making sure football has everything it needs to be successful in this league. From our perspective, those two—basketball and football—are going to be the ones that need to be focused on more than anything else,” he added. Now, Willie Fritz’s team might follow an equal share between their football and basketball teams, but other teams are making football their top priority.

Clemson, for instance, has gone above and beyond, allocating a remarkable 86% of its athletic budget to football, exceeding expectations. This reflects a broader trend, as schools increasingly compete for resources. This shift raises concerns. Basketball coach Brad Brownell might be worried about his program’s 11% allocation compared to the typical 15%. Meanwhile, Alabama recently announced a new partnership with SCOUT, a platform designed to help them “customized revenue distribution system.”

But with a blow, there’s a major update waiting for Willie Fritz’s team…

Houston Cougars’ fate gets a push

Houston’s move to the Big 12 was rough. But optimism is growing in Houston. It starts with quarterback Conner Weigman. As spring practice concluded, Weigman appeared both calm and relieved at the University of Houston. “Ah, finally, healthy,” he said. “Body feels the best it’s felt in a long time.” After shoulder and leg injuries limited him to four games in 2023 at Texas A&M, Weigman is fully recovered and ready to lead. His arrival highlights a significant transfer portal push orchestrated by second-year coach Willie Fritz.

CFB writer Chip Patterson’s belief in Conner Weigman just increases Willie Fritz’s chances to make a splash this season. “I think that Conner Weigman—regardless of whether he did or did not meet expectations, and probably did not at Texas A&M—I still think the best of Conner Weigman is capable of getting into the Big 12, going up against Big 12 defenses, and being successful,” Weigman said. Last season was rough for Weigman, as he threw for 819 yards with 3 TDs and 5 interceptions. But this time the expectations are sky-high.

Willie Fritz didn’t just upgrade the quarterback position; he brought in over a dozen offensive transfers. Six projected starters, including wide receiver Amare Thomas (UAB), tight end Tanner Koziol (Ball State), offensive tackle Dalton Merryman (Texas Tech), and guards Jason Brooks Jr. (Oklahoma State) and Matthew Wykoff (Cal). This gives the team a stronger offensive line and improved skill players to support their quarterback.

Patterson also cited the schedule as a major benefit. “When I look at the Houston conference schedule—there is no Utah, no Kansas State, no Iowa State, no BYU, no Kansas,” he said. He stressed that Houston sidesteps both challenging teams and tough road games. Houston’s lighter schedule, improved offense, and strong defense make significant progress realistic. “I think [we’ll] see a three-win improvement this year. I think this can be an 8–4 team with steps forward offensively and trusting Willie Fritz,” Patterson concluded.

With a bit of luck, the Cougars might finally show they belong in the Big 12.