Sean Miller has clearly worked his magic in Austin through the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail to turn the Texas men's basketball program back into a powerhouse team.
In just one year, he took the Longhorns back to the Sweet 16, and that was due in large part to his recruiting efforts to rebuild the roster and add the talent required to make a run in the tournament.
These days, even with the name and influence that comes with the Texas Longhorn brand, that kind of roster comes alongside a hefty price tag. Most projections have the Horns' roster valued at well over $15 million in NIL deals.
While a lot of people might think that Texas is one of the few teams that can spend that much on NIL packages to land players, Miller actually thinks the Horns are just one in a couple of dozen teams doing so.
Texas Longhorns are spending big on basketball
When appearing on The Field of 68 podcast, Miller projected that anywhere from 20 to 25 programs are spending upwards of $20 million or more on their men's basketball rosters.
"The University of Texas is investing in our basketball program to allow us to compete for the top prize," Miller said about the Longhorns' NIL program. "Educated guess? Sometimes you don't have all the information. How many have 20 [million dollar rosters]? I would say 20-25."
It isn't just the top teams or the richest programs; it's dozens of teams that are spending this much money to ensure their basketball teams can be successful.
How many 20+ million dollar rosters are there in college basketball this offseason? Sean Miller's perspective:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 4, 2026
"Educated guess? Sometimes you don't have all the information... I would say 20-25." 👀
🎥: https://t.co/kRYnhn5fpC pic.twitter.com/nG8CMfoVOg
While that is a ton of teams willing to spend the money, and a ton of money, it's also only about a third of the teams that make it to the NCAA Tournament. In other words, it's truly only about a third of the teams in the Big Dance who have spent the cash to ensure their presence in the postseason.
Also read: Texas Longhorns men's basketball 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
There are 20 or 25 teams that genuinely have a chance, because of the talent level, at winning the National Championship, and that's it. Out of hundreds (yes, literally hundreds) of basketball programs, about 25 teams should actually be considered in contention to win it all.
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