Rich Rodriguez’s return to West Virginia has sparked new energy among Mountaineer fans, who’ve endured years of mediocrity, including a 6-7 (5-4 Big 12) finish in 2024. There’s hope that the 190-game-winning coach can recapture the magic of his first stint in Morgantown. However, the NIL era has introduced complex challenges for programs, and the former Big East Titan now faces a tougher landscape, especially in terms of building a competitive roster.

Rodriguez hinted at those difficulties while discussing West Virginia’s quarterback competition for 2025. He called it a “wide-open” battle and said he may even play multiple quarterbacks. That strongly points to West Virginia’s lack the NIL firepower to buy its way into elite quarterback depth. His remarks mirror the budgetary backdrop influencing such decisions, which WVU athletic director Wren Baker recently addressed, as the school readies for a new $20.5 million annual revenue-sharing model.

Baker said on WVU’s YouTube platform, “We had lots of discussions… so ultimately where we landed was the settlement identifies those revenue streams that you are sharing. So the settlement you dig deeply, it says you have to share 22% of these revenue buckets.” He clarified that revenue sharing will reflect what each sport contributes. “All of our ticketed sports contributed at least something, so therefore they get a revenue share back out.” In simpler terms, the new model ties payouts to profitability.

In practice, WVU will divvy up its $20.5 million pool based on which sports are making money. That means football, which brings in an estimated $70-$90 million annually from ticket sales, TV deals, merchandising, and sponsorships (as per Sports Illustrated), gets the lion’s share. The program alone accounts for roughly 60-70% of athletic department revenue, far outmatching men’s basketball and all other sports combined. Even so, with only $6-9 million of that earmarked for football NIL, the Mountaineers are forced to be selective.

In fact, Baker noted, big revenue doesn’t always mean big spending flexibility. “There is no ownership (in college football). It’s a large bureaucratic higher education organization that’s heavily influenced by donors, by board members, by coaches, by student athletes and their agents…. You take Ohio State and Kentucky (for example), these institutions are having $30 and $40 million deficits when they have $200 million budgets (sic),” he said. 

Ohio State ran a $37.7 million deficit in FY 2024, as per the Columbus Dispatch. Kentucky also reportedly struggled with deficit, mostly due to rising coaching salaries and flatlining donor contributions. For West Virginia, who have a smaller purse, the comparison is apt as high ambitions meet financial gravity, and now Rich Rodriguez must work within those lines.

Rich Rodriguez bets on finding a better fit over flashy NIL deals.

The verdict from Wren Baker only reinforces why Rich Rodriguez has leaned heavily into development and balance in his roster-building. Instead of chasing five-star recruits with seven-figure NIL demands, WVU used the portal to bring in impact players like DE Jimmori Robinson (one-year eligibility) and OL Josh Aisosa, while betting on high-potential returnees like RB Jahiem White (844 yards, 7 TDs in 2024).

At quarterback, it’s clear Rodriguez is setting the tone for their modest financial structure. His approach is all about maximizing what he’s got. That includes redshirt junior Nicco Marchiol, who went 2-0 as a starter in 2024, and two transfers, Jaylen Henderson (Texas A&M) and Max Brown (Charlotte). Rodriguez said to WVSports, “If we have three guys that are good enough, I’ll play all three.” Now, that’s not just depth talk, that’s budget-conscious coaching.

WVU’s transfer class ranked 30th nationally (CBS Sports), and while they didn’t land any five-star prospects, they secured capable, system-fitting players. The recently launched Gold & Blue Enterprises platform of WVU should help add structure and aid the coach. For Rodriguez, this season isn’t just about wins; it’s a litmus test for whether a veteran coach can build a competitive program in the NIL age without Wall Street money.