Wichita State athletic director updates fans on men’s basketball NIL outlook
In an open letter to fans published Thursday, Wichita State athletic director Kevin Saal reported promising growth in financial support for the men’s basketball program but also called for more donations to help the Shockers achieve lofty aspirations.
According to Saal, WSU’s financial resources to support men’s basketball in the Name, Image and Likeness era have grown 518% since January 2023. He also added that WSU has “developed a reputation of character and integrity in the NIL environment.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint how much money the Wheat Shock Collective is working with to help WSU men’s basketball coach Paul Mills recruit in the transfer portal, but Saal stated in his letter that the Shockers are currently positioned to be “highly competitive” within the American Athletic Conference without putting an exact figure on their bankroll.
Following the expected final approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement next week, colleges will soon be allowed to share revenue directly with its athletes. Saal points out in the letter that WSU has a “distinct advantage” over other AAC teams because the Shockers do not have to share resources to support a football program. The majority of athletic departments have avoided diving into the specifics of how the revenue sharing will work until it is finalized.
Contending in the AAC is not the only goal for WSU, Saal pointed out.
“Wichita desires, expects and deserves a nationally competitive (top 25) men’s basketball program that improves the city’s economy, attracts visitors and contributes to a thriving community,” Saal wrote. “The current era of college athletics brings unprecedented challenges, and our growth is directly tied to raising additional funds to compete in this new NIL/Revenue Share environment.”
After analyzing NIL data for teams that recently played in the Sweet 16, Saal said in the letter that is “reasonable to conclude” that WSU will need an additional $1 million to “elevate overall roster talent/depth and compete at the national level of excellence we’ve all come to expect.”
So far the WSU men’s basketball team has seen its top two eligible returners, Quincy Ballard and Corey Washington, hit the transfer portal where both are receiving power-conference interest with expected 7-figure pay days coming, sources told The Eagle. Those two departures combined with seven graduating seniors means WSU is slated to lose 98.6% of its scoring production from last season’s 19-15 team.
WSU has since landed East Tennessee State stopper Karon Boyd, the reigning Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and hosted coveted center Harlan Obioha for an official visit earlier this week. WSU is also “in the works” of setting up an official visit for 6-foot-9 Monmouth forward Jaret Valencia, a former top-100 high school prospect.
Mills has compiled a 34-34 overall record in his first two seasons at the helm at WSU. The Shockers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2021 with an NIT appearance last month after finishing 8-10 and in eighth place in the AAC standings.
“We are laser-focused on positioning our program for success in 2025-26 and beyond,” Saal wrote in his letter. “We desire to exemplify an extraordinary level of transparency as it relates to the current and future states of our program, so that you may draw confidence in both our direction and desired destination.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 4:45 PM.
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