There are now just four of the original Power Five conferences in college athletics. The Big Ten is joined by the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), SEC (Southeastern Conference), and the Big 12. The PAC 12 has looked to rebuild with lower-tier schools.

It’s now possible that the Power Four, specifically the Big Ten, isn’t done adding more members either.

Growth for the Big Ten still on the horizon

Minnesota Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle talked with Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press recently. The discussion hit on multiple topics, but among them was the future growth of the conference.

Budget forecasts for the 2027 fiscal year include an expected uptick in revenue from the College Football Playoff, money that goes to the Big Ten and then its members. The CFP field is expected to grow from its current structure of 12 teams to possibly 16 next year.

Coyle also expects the Big Ten to expand at some point. The conference grew from 14 members to 18 in 2024, with the addition of Southern Cal, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.

“Our friends at Oregon and Washington wanted so badly to be in the Big Ten that they’re getting half the media revenue. I mean, think about that,” Coyle said. “I think Minnesota is very well positioned. We are a charter member of the Big Ten.

“Whether it’s two days or two years, I do think there is going to be continued fluctuation because we are in this House settlement era for two months now. I can tell you peers in the Big Ten are trying to find revenue, right? What are peers and other conferences trying to do right now? We have the best media deals in the country, so there’s going to be movement.”

Pioneer Press

As Coyle notes, the Big Ten has participants that span the entire country. The media markets that the conference is part of are some of the largest in the world. That obviously has value.

The more other schools look to generate revenue and carve out future earnings, the more they could become enamored by inclusion within the Big Ten.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Fall in CFB Poll

Minnesota is well-positioned as a charter member of the conference. The Gophers also remain competitive amongst the group they directly compete with as well. Hoe additional expansion changes that, or helps things to evolve, remains to be seen.

College athletics have drastically changed in recent years. More schools continue to gravitate towards those in good revenue generating positions. That leaves Minnesota, and the Big Ten, as something of a constant target.

Last season, Minnesota finished with an 8-5 record, after beating Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. This season, the head coach is trying to raise the bar again. 2024 QB Max Brosmer is now with the Minnesota Vikings, but the presence of Lindsey, a redshirt freshman, has Fleck incredibly bullish over the upcoming season.

“What is the next right step? That’s going to be subjective to a lot of different people. As a head football coach, my job is to get the most out of my football team every single year, academically, athletically, socially and spiritually in this life program. … If you get the most out of your players, you’re going to have a chance to be really successful on the football field.

With the College Football Playoff where it is, as Indiana showed last year, anybody can get there. If we’re delusional enough to know we can do that, we can get there. … You’ve got to continue to raise the expectations.”

P.J. Fleck – Star Tribune

Fleck remains locked in at Minnesota, where he just signed a contract extension through 2030, over the offseason. Still, that doesn’t mean the Gophers are safe from outside vultures, who may try to pry the 9th year Golden Gopher head coach out of Dinkytown, especially if his squad starts the season out hot.

P.J. Fleck in danger of getting poached from Minnesota Gophers

University of Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle recently spoke with Randy Johnson (Star Tribune), and he was honest about other schools targeting his head football coach early and often this season, given what he continues to move with the Gophers.

“If you go back to P.J.’s very first press conference, he talked about sustainability. How can he be here long-term? It’s amazing how many fans come up to me and say, ‘Does he have the Notre Dame clause in his contract?’ He’s starting year nine here. He and Heather love it here. I promise you in a few weeks as we get into the college football season, his name is gonna pop up at other destinations. The reason why is he does it the right way.”

Mark Coyle – Star Tribune

Coyle sharing that with the Star Tribune does not come out of fear. He doesn’t necessarily seem concerned over which school could come gunning for Fleck. Instead, he seems confident, not just in PJ’s abilities as a football coach, but in his desire to remain in Minnesota.

Of course, it’s worth noting that Fleck — as recently as last offseason — nearly left for the UCLA job, before ultimately deciding to stay. But given how long PJ has stuck around, it’s clear that there are only a select few jobs that would pique his interest, at this point, especially given what he’s built at the U of M.

Where have Gophers been under Fleck and what’s next…

PJ Fleck won just five games during his first season as Minnesota Gophers head coach, back in 2017. Since, he’s won six-straight bowl games and pushed the Minnesota as high as seventh in the AP Poll, back in 2019. Overall, the 44-year-old head coach holds an 58-39 record as Golden Gophers head coach, 33-36 in the Big Ten.

Related: What to Expect From Gophers’ Extremely Talented Freshman QB in Debut Start

This season is an opportunity to be something the Minnesota Gophers haven’t since 2019. If Lindsey winds up being the talent that Brosmer was or better, PJ Fleck’s 2025 squad should be a force to be reckoned with.

As long as Fleck is coaching the Gophers and having success, there will be a wide-level of concern that he could up and leave. If he has success this season, PJ will need to decide, yet again, how much he likes coaching at the University of Minnesota.

For now though, both he and Coyle appear content with where things stand with his head football coach.

That’s because the Minnesota AD knew he wanted Medved before the position ever opened. Instead of running a coaching search, Mark and Niko shook hands under the March Madness table and Coyle waited for Medved’s Colorado State Rams to lose in the NCAA Tournament.

In the past, local alumni, Gopher boosters and the U of M Board of Regents never would have allowed the type (non) coaching search that landed Medved in Dinkytown. But this is a new age of college sports and those entities are far less worried about the hiring process these days, and much more concerned about results.

University of Minnesota Athletic Department running a deficit

Why the change? Well, it all started with the new U.S. House Settlement that went active on July 1, which allows power five Universities to spend $20.5 million of their 2025-26 athletic budgets to pay student athletes. It’s a major shift in college athletics, and one that has flipped the Gopher athletic department budget upside down.

For the University of Minnesota, $20.5 million accounts for (12%) of its total AD budget this year, according to the Star Tribune, which is why Mark Coyle is projecting a rare $8.75 million budget deficit in the athletic department.

What’s Coyle’s plan to balance the budget? Immediately… nothing. He met with the University of Minnesota Board of Regents on Wednesday, where he remained fully committed to paying the full $20.5 million to student athletics, as allowed the the House Settlement.

According to the Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins, who was present at the Board of Regents meeting, the University of Minnesota has been planning for this deficit. He writes that the school is prepared to absorb the athletic department hit this year, which is why there was no “sticker shock” at the meeting.

The new shortfall didn’t appear to cause sticker shock with regents. Coyle received only one question about it, with co-vice chair Penny Wheeler inquiring about future issues in this new era of college sports.

Coyle committed to pay the full amount of that $20.5 million cap, meaning revenue sharing will account for 12% of expenses this year. He said his department will work with the university to manage the deficit.

Chip Scoggins – Star Tribune

Going forward, however, Mark Coyle specifically pointed to Niko Medved and the Minnesota Gophers basketball program, which has been bleeding money for the last four years, under Ben Johnson.

Mark Coyle betting big on early Niko Medved’s success

In fact, the only thing emptier than the NIL cupboards for Gophers men’s basketball over the past couple of years, has been Williams Arena during men’s basketball games. So, a key to inject more revenue into Minnesota’s athletic department, Coyle told his bosses via powerpoint this week, is more ticket and merchandise sales at The Barn.

And the only way to sell more tickets is to win more games. Not only would success on the court lead to more paying fans in the stands, but there are financial bonuses presented to schools that make the NCAA Tournament each year.

Coyle’s presentation included a slide about new men’s basketball coach Niko Medved, who replaced Ben Johnson in a coaching change after the season. The Gophers are banking on Medved’s arrival sparking more success on the court and thus renewed excitement around the program to help improve sagging ticket sales.

Chip Scoggins – Star Tribune

Related: Gophers Basketball to Play at the Pentagon

Mark Coyle fired former Gopher men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson immediately after the 2024-25 season ended. But even before he canned Johnson, Coyle already knew who he wanted walking the sidelines at Williams Arena.

At the time of the firing, Niko Medved was just starting a March Madness run at Colorado State that didn’t end until the Rams were finally eliminated by a last-second shot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. For those wondering, that’s further than the Gophers have made it since their infamous Final 4 run back in 1996-97.

Coincidentally, Medved was a student manager under then head coach Clem Haskins. He later became a Minnesota assistant under Dan Monson during his final season in Dinkytown (2006-07). Nearly two decades later, Niko is back at his alma mater and now Gophers men’s basketball is his team.

Coyle, Medved under self-induced pressure for Gophers MBB to win now

At no time in Gopher history has there been more pressure to win, however. Not only is the athletic department forecasting MBB success, and using it in future budget conversations, but Coyle has also taken a chunk of Minnesota’s new settlement budget (about $2 million) away from football, in order to reinvest it into basketball.

Without a doubt, Mark Coyle is betting big on Niko Medved. Not only did Minnesota’s AD put his reputation on the line by firing Ben Johnson, then exclusively hand-picking his new guy. But since Medved’s hire, Coyle has only doubled down.

Read More: Gopher Football Conceding Chunk of New RevShare Money to Men’s Basketball?

Niko has an increased talent-acquisition budget — between increased NIL and the new revshare settlement — this season that Johnson never could have dreamed of during his tenure.

But even beyond the immediate financial investment into men’s basketball, Coyle is essentially leveraging future success of the program as part of his forecast to a more balanced Athletic Department budget to the Board of Regents. That’s pretty risky, no…?

In other words, if Gophers MBB doesn’t win games early and often, under Medved, Mark Coyle would have a lot of explaining to do. And I can promise that, if things go bad, betting on a basketball team with very little past success will look so much worse, in retrospect, than it even does right now.

According to a recent article in the Star Tribune, the University of Minnesota was expected to divvy out its $20.5 million similarly to other power 5 schools, with 75% going to football (~$15 million), 15% to men’s basketball (~$3.1 million) and the rest to be split between women’s basketball, volleyball and men’s hockey.

While those numbers were not surprising, the columnist Chip Scoggins didn’t seem to factor in reports from a few months ago that athletic director Mark Coyle had promised to dedicate a larger percentage of this new revshare money to men’s basketball, in order to make life a little easier for new head coach Niko Medved.

Minnesota Gophers football revshare money going to men’s basketball…?

Over the weekend, however, another local columnist (and deeply rooted Gopher insider) Charley “Shooter” Walters shined more light on Minnesota’s revshare situation. And if he is right, it appears Gopher basketball is getting its extra chunk of cash from PJ Fleck and the football team.

According to Shooter’s report, Gopher football’s exact 2025 revshare number will be $13 million, down $2 million from Scoggins’ recent projections. Meanwhile, Walters sets the men’s basketball revshare budget at $5 million, up $2 million from Chip’s previous number.

Ohio State is saying publicly it plans to spend $18 million on athletes for the coming academic year. The Gophers aren’t saying, but are expected to spend about $13 million on football and $5 million on men’s and women’s basketball.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

Related: Gopher Basketball All-Time Great Finds First NBA Home

I do not doubt Walters’ reporting on this one bit. Not only is he more plugged into Gopher athletics than just about any other insider in town, but he was present at a recent packed house “Dunkers” booster club meeting that featured Niko Medved as its guest speaker.

Why a bigger chunk of cash for Gophers men’s basketball (this year) makes sense

And really, the financial scenario he lays out makes a ton of sense, especially given the projected numbers Chip Scoggins recently laid out in his article. Given how well PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers football team is doing in the NIL space lately, they should find it much easier to recoup that $2 million.

Niko Medved, on the other hand, is entering his first season back in Dinkytown. Not only that, but he is taking over a program previously run by Ben Johnson, who fell way behind in the NIL game, early on in his tenure. In other words, the Name, Image and Likeness checking account was mostly empty when he took the job.

This additional $2 million in revshare money will significantly add to his first year player budget. It wouldn’t surprise me if his split of revshare goes back to more of a normal 75/15/10 split in 2026 and beyond, once Medved gets more time to fundraise private NIL funds.

But while Ben Johnson was head coach, over the last four seasons, they weren’t even that. Never once did any of Ben’s four Golden Gophers squads even get close to sniffing the NCAA Tournament. The furthest they made it was on NIT Tournament victory in 2024.

For his time in Dinkytown, Johnson will be known for having the worst winning percentage (56-71 | .441) of any University of Minnesota men’s head basketball coach in school history, who got more than three seasons at the helm.

In the days since, there have been a handful of coaches mentioned as possible replacements for Ben Johnson. The names have included some familiar candidates, like Ryan Saunders, Sam Mitchell and Colorado State’s Niko Medved.

Minnesota Gophers expected to hire Niko Medved as next men’s basketball coach

There were some others possibly in the mix too, but it appears Coyle has already made his decision. According to longtime local insider (especially U of M athletics) David Shama of Shama Sports Headliners, the University of Minnesota is poised to hire Niko Medved as its next head basketball coach.

Sources believe Niko Medved will be the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.  Those sources include a former college basketball coach with Minnesota ties who called Sports Headliners Friday to say Medved, head coach at Colorado State since 2018, will succeed Ben Johnson who was dismissed earlier this week after four losing Big Ten seasons.

That source, speaking on condition of anonymity, believes a deal has been agreed to between Medved and the U.

David Shama – Shama Sports Headliners

For months, most reports had Ben getting a 5th season as head coach. But athletic director Mark Coyle put that to bed, when he fired Johnson hours after their final game of the season, a loss vs Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament.

Niko Medved was born in Minneapolis and raised in the Twin Cities. He graduated from Roseville high school in 1992, before quickly jumping into coaching, a career he started at Macalester college from 1997-1999. From there, he joined the coaching staff at Furman University, before being hired by Dan Monson, as a member of his Gophers coaching staff in 2006.

Related: Ben Johnson Finally Fired as Gophers MBB Coach

Monson was fired halfway through that season, which ended up being a blessing in disguise for Medved, who immediately landed on the Colorado State staff in 2007, where he remained an assistant until 2013, when he was promoted to head coach. In his 7 seasons leading the Rams, Medved is 140-84 with three NCAA Tournament appearances, soon to be four.

Mark Coyle had his plan when he fired Ben Johnson

For those of you who enjoy listening to Darren Wolfson‘s scoop sessions every week on SKOR North, this news isn’t a surprise to you. On Thursday, Doogie reported that Coyle already knew who he wanted to hire and that the process in finding Minnesota’s next men’s basketball coach will wrap up in expedited fashion.

“Mark Coyle always has a plan. It’s not like he fired Ben then said ‘ok, what should we do now?’. Mark Coyle already has his guy, I’m just telling you. It may take a few days, but Mark knows exactly what he’s doing. But whoever that next guy is, let’s say Niko Medved of Colorado State, whoever that next guy is… is a whole lot going to change?”

“Mark knows what he is doing. I don’t randomly say the name, Niko Medved. That would be the name more than any, that I would keep an eye on… Mark Coyle knows exactly what he is doing and I would have Niko Medved at the top of any list…Look at the name, Niko Medved.”

Darren Wolfson – SKOR North

As Wolfon notes above, Coyle is a very intentional person. He would not have fired Ben Johnson if he didn’t have a replacement plan already in mind, probably already in place.

Related: What We Learned About Gophers in Crushing Loss vs Northwestern

Another hint came when the Minnesota Gophers announced they were retaining assistant coach Dave Thorson, longtime head coach at DeLaSalle high school, and a great friend of Niko Medved. This is a great hire and hopefully the beginning of a much more exciting era of Golden Gophers basketball.

This week’s B1G Tourney loss made Ben Johnson 56-71 (.441) as University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach, 22-57 in Big Ten play. His .441 overall winning percentage is the worst of any men’s head basketball coach in school history, who was on the job for three years or more (see table below).

Ben Johnson fired as University of Minnesota Gophers men’s head basketball coach

But in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Ben Johnson finally met his fate when athletic director Mark Coyle announced at 1 a.m. CDT that the De La Salle and U of M alum had been fired from his dream job as Minnesota Golden Gophers head basketball coach.

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle has announced that the University has parted ways with men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson.

“I met with Ben in-person early this morning when the team returned to Minneapolis from the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament and informed him that we were making a change in leadership. I thanked him for his dedication and for guiding the program, one he cares deeply about, for the last four years. Ben is a terrific person, and we wish him well.

U of M AD Mark Coyle statement

There were reports recently saying that Ben Johnson’s job felt safe. But that’s because this was a Mark Coyle decision, and he wasn’t letting anyone in on it. Unlike when Ben was hired, Coyle was not going to allow high-powered alumni and boosters influence his decision to fire the first time head coach.

Ben Johnson goes down as one of the worst men’s basketball coaches in U of M history

You have to go back 100 years — to Harold Taylor from 1925 to 1927 — in order to find a former Gophers MBB coach who lost a bigger percentage of his games than Johnson, who was allowed more time on the job. Any other head coach whose teams performed as poorly as Ben’s were all fired within one or two years of getting the job.

In other words, good riddance. Ben Johnson, according to every single person who has ever run into him, is a wonderful person. Great. But this is a cut-throat business. The only way anyone cares about your personality is if you win first, something Johnson failed to do for four full seasons.

Ben’s biggest failure, without a doubt, was in Name, Image and Likeness. He got his job at the same time NIL was taking over college sports. Instead of embracing change and fundraising NIL early, to get ahead of other schools, Johnson ignored it. In the end, that cost him his job.

Mark Coyle starts the search for next Gophers MBB coach

Now, Coyle is on the hunt for a new leader of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball program, and he believes it’s a job a lot of coaches around the country are going to want.

“These decisions are difficult and are made after careful consideration and evaluation. The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years. 

This is an extremely desirable job in one of the best conferences and cities in the nation, and we fully expect to compete at the highest level on and off the court. We provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes, have one of the best practice facilities in the nation and play games in a historic venue. We offer everything that is needed to be successful, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men’s basketball coach.”

U of M AD Mark Coyle statement

But this world is far from perfect, just like Ben Johnson’s head coaching record, and the 2024-25 Gophers men’s basketball team is proof of that. Entering Monday, Minnesota is sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten, as the only team remaining (0-5) without a conference victory (8-8 overall).

If only Ben could schedule FCS and DII schools all season. Unfortunately for him, that’s not how it works in arguably the deepest conference in college basketball. Eventually, you have to play with the big boys and this team does not have the talent or coaching to do that.

Ben Johnson’s firing is near… but who replaces him?

I’ve said it before and I will note it again here, the Minnesota Gophers may not win a Big Ten game all season. If that were to happen, maybe the angry DMs and emails from U of M alumni and Ben Johnson apologists will stop…

Thankfully, those people do not hold the final decision. More than likely, after yet another season that will go down as one of the worst in Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball history, Ben Johnson will be relieved of his head coaching duties.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Fans and Media Need to Stop Making Excuses for Ben Johnson

At that point, it won’t matter who has his back. This program is in such bad shape — and it’ll be even worse two months from now — that not even his most dedicated and powerful supporters will be able to object against his firing.

When that happens, who will be the Minnesota Gophers next head basketball coach? There are a lot of proven college basketball coaches who have had interest in the Gophers men’s head coaching job before, going all the way back to Richard Pitino’s initial hiring.

This time around, it’s already been reported that usual contenders Craig Smith (Utah), Niko Medved (Colorado State) and former Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders all have interest, among others. And guess what, only one of those names has ZERO collegiate coaching experience and ZERO success at the one level he did coach.

Minnesota Gophers alumni and select boosters want Ryan Saunders

Yet, according to a report over the weekend from Charley Walters (Pioneer Press), University of Minnesota “alumni and select boosters” have already set their sights on Ryan Saunders, who played two seasons at the University of Minnesota from 2004 to 2006 and went 43-94 as an NBA head coach in three seasons from 2018 to 2021.

Alumni and assorted boosters are pushing Ryan Saunders, the ex-Gopher who is an assistant for the Denver Nuggets, for the Gophers head job if there is a coaching change at season’s end.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

It doesn’t surprise me that the University of Minnesota alumni and “select” boosters want Ryan Saunders to be the next hire for the Golden Gophers men’s team. This is the same group that demanded athletic director Mark Coyle hire Ben Johnson, after Richard Pitino was fired. Ryan is a great guy, but in no way is he the best or most qualified candidate interested in this job.

But we are talking about a group of alumni and boosters who only care about one thing, and it’s “one of us”. If someone did not go to school at the U of M and/or grow up in the state of Minnesota, there is no amount of winning that would make them support that coach. Which is why these “alumni and select boosters” should never be allowed a say in head coaching hires.

Has Minnesota AD Mark Coyle learned his lesson?

Hopefully, after one failed round of allowing “alumni and select boosters” to choose the head men’s basketball coach (yes that is how Ben got the job) Coyle is smart enough to ignore them. Remember, our athletic director’s expertise, upon arrival, was basketball.

Related: Local Insider Floats the “Logical Choice” for Next Gophers MBB Head Coach

He was in the AD office at Kentucky and Syracuse when those schools were making National Championship runs. He made a smart football hire, with PJ Fleck, but basketball is supposed to be his bread and butter.

Everyone needs to let him make the hire and live or die with the consequences. Get the alumni out of his ear before they screw things up yet again. Because Minnesota Gophers fans do not care where the next coach hails from. We just miss March Madness.

At the professional level, a general manager assembles a roster within the parameters of a given budget. They are also responsible for organizational staffing and development of player roster. Each acquisition has a cost and that’s something a GM must be abreast of.

Minnesota Gophers looking into a GM for football

With the ever-expanding NIL landscape in college football, the Minnesota Gophers are now looking into hiring a general manager, too. Athletic Director Mark Coyle talked with Marcus Fuller, of the Star Tribune, about what a general manager may look like at the collegiate level.

“If it’s at $21 million to $22 million [annual shared revenue], you have to have somebody who’s going to manage that cap for you at the same time. If a professional team misses on a player, it really impacts their cap for future years. And so, we’re going to have to start to think that way. We’ve looked at, do we need to bring somebody in that can help us manage those caps? Is it different people for different sports?

And then, more importantly, we want to be very strategic and analytical when we assign those dollar values, when we make those commitments to those kids where we’re different than the professional level. It’s not just how many baskets do they make, right. Are you going to class? Are you going to graduate? Those things all come into play too. Those are things we ought to measure.”

Mark Coyle to the Star Tribune on a Minnesota Gophers general manager

Related: Confirmed: Gophers New Revenue Split Will Mostly Pay Football Players

Dollars are being dispersed for NIL agreements throughout colleges, and will require a new position of compliance. That’s where this general manager position would come in. The Minnesota Gophers presumably will make a hire for this role, prior to the 2025 season, though Coyle doesn’t say for sure that it will happen.

Minnesota Gophers football to rule most decisions

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the greatest revenue generating sport will cause the most influence. Coyle estimates that football is roughly 90% of the finances for the Minnesota Gophers athletic department. A continued investment in the program will only drive revenues further.

The Minnesota Gophers currently offer 22 sports programs. Sport cuts could be part of the dollar allocation down the line, but Coyle feels good with where things are currently. Nonetheless, they are evaluating things on a constant basis, in this ever-changing landscape.

“I made some of our coaches really nervous because I said we have to look at everything we’re doing in terms of recruiting, travel, budgets, nutrition, how we do all those types of things. It’s going to look different for Minnesota. It’s going to look different for Ohio State, etc.”

Mark Coyle on money for Minnesota Gophers programs

The ever-changing landscape of college sports will continue to generate a need for adjustment. Still considered amateur competition, players are now compensated like never before. Of course, that makes sense, since college football is making more money than ever before.

Related: Nobody Believes in the Minnesota Gophers

The Minnesota Gophers will need to remain competitive, on that front, or risk being left in the dust. It seems as though Mark Coyle and the University are trying to think ahead and planning for what is next. But good luck doing that with collegiate athletics in 2024.

New revenue split will go to Minnesota Gophers football players

University of Minnesota officials have been up front about how much money they have. It’s $21 million per year. Each school gets to decide if they pay athletes, and how that money is distributed. According to what athletic director Mark Coyle told Marcus Fuller (Star Tribune), most of that cash will go to football players.

“I have conversations with other programs, and at the end of the day, finances play a big, big part in what we do. … Football is 90 percent of that. And so, we are very, very wise that we continue to invest in football to help that program grow.”

U of M Athletic Director Mark Coyle (via interview with Marcus Fuller – Star Tribune)

There was no mention of how much, if any, other athletic programs will get. That makes sense. As we’ve written about many times over, it does not make financial sense to distribute millions of dollars into parts of your business that do not generate revenue.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Star Running Back Leaves Practice with Apparent Injury

As Coyle noted, football makes over 90% of revenue generated out of the University of Minnesota Athletic department. Men’s basketball brings in most of the rest, with men’s hockey coming in just above the red line. Every other sport costs the University money.

University of Minnesota looking for a GM?

This is just the beginning of power four schools paying their football players. I’d expect we see many more business-conscious decisions, just like this one, going forward.

Out of this same interview between Mark Coyle and Marcus Fuller, we found out that the athletic department is likely to seek out a general manager, sometime in the near future. They need someone who can come in and put prices on players. A person designated to budgeting out what is, essentially, a $21 million salary cap.

I know many people despise college athletics evolving into professional sports, but we are living through the greatest shakeup in major collegiate athletics since the dawn of college football over 120 years ago. We are literally watching history unfold around us.

Don’t worry, College football will survive… and probably come out better

When all is said and done, college football teams will still have the best 18 to 20-year-old football players in the world competing on our favorite teams. Yes, there will be problems and tragedies throughout the process, but change isn’t free.

Related: Nobody Believes in the Minnesota Gophers

At the end of the day, these kids are helping to generate billions of dollars. The ones who deserve a larger chunk of that revenue, should get it. We are talking about life-changing money. The schools and NCAA bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to hog all of that money.

So get your popcorn, and let’s see how it all shakes out. Most likely, it will be a positive for the Minnesota Gophers. This eventually leads to a college football salary cap, which in theory, should lead to a much more level playing field vs teams like Michigan and Ohio State.

Minnesota Gophers athletes will soon be paid ~$21 million by U of M

According to Chip Scoggins (Star Tribune), U of M athletic director Mark Coyle and the Board of Regents are preparing to pay Gophers athletes a total of ~$21 million per year, payments that could start being dispersed as soon as fall 2025.

…the Gophers will start paying their athletes, if the new system gains approval… that move would cost the athletic department a projected $21 million annually.

Chip Scoggins – Star Tribune

But not every U of M athlete is going to see a portion of that cash. Most of the money is likely be paid out to football players, which makes sense since football is the only sport on campus that generates significant amounts of revenue.

Gopher football makes the money, so their players will get paid

Last year, for example, the University of Minnesota athletic department generated a total of $102 million in operating revenue. $77.2 million of that (about $75%) came from the football team. Closest to football was men’s basketball, which brought in $17.4 million. From there, it goes to men’s hockey ($5.8 million), then women’s volleyball ($1.3 million).

According to Scoggins, the only thing left to be figured out is how they will pay mostly football players (and a little bit to men’s basketball probably) when Title IX says that money needs to go to every student athlete on campus? Well, let’s just say that is about to be worked out in court.

College leaders are waiting for direction on how this new revenue-sharing system will mix with the principles of Title IX. This is a critical piece in understanding how that $21 million gets distributed. Will schools be required to split athlete payments evenly between male and female athletes? The many Title IX-related questions likely will be answered in court.

Chip Scoggins – Star Tribune

Chip won’t say it, but Title IX will likely be thrown out of high level college athletics. Title IX only existed because athletes were not being paid like professionals. With that changing, it only makes sense that Title IX will go by the wayside.

Once the Title IX thing is figured out, and that $21 million is allocated to each team accordingly (mostly football), each program that receives funding will get to decide how they go about spending it on talent. In other words, PJ Fleck will operate as the football team’s GM. Unless, of course, he and Coyle decide to hire someone else for that role.

Coyle said disbursement responsibility will fall to coaches or possibly a newly created position. “What does our department look like a year from now?” Coyle said. “Do we have to hire a GM-type of person?

Chip Scoggins – Star Tribune

This money will not be related to NIL. In fact, this is the beginning of the fix for the wild west world of NIL that is trying to ruin college athletics. Pretty soon, NIL contracts will be nothing more than “sponsorship deals”, just like they were prior to this “Name, Image and Likeness” era.