Brigham Young University paid freshman phenom AJ Dybansta $7 million this past season to play college basketball. Second-year quarterback Bear Bachmeier is estimated to make between $1.6 to $2 million this next year.
But where is this money coming from?
BYU has moved quickly in Name, Image and Likeness monetization in college athletics, acquiring top recruits from around the country to play for the university.
When BYU basketball brought on Dybansta for $7 million, many people started to question where the money came from.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors BYU and subsidizes tuition and various campus operations. Some people wonder, is the Church cutting the checks for BYU athletes?
The short answer: No. Players are not getting paid by the Church. Tithing funds are not being used to write Bear Bachmeier’s expected $2 million NIL deal for 2026.
Cougar Nation is not a concentrated fanbase. There are BYU fans all over the world supporting the university’s athletics. And the recent success, especially with basketball and football, has translated into a high level of donor interest in funding NIL initiatives.
The NIL efforts are primarily funded by The Royal Blue Collective, a major nonprofit collective, along with wealthy local entrepreneurs and successful alumni.
Ryan Smith is the co-founder of Qualtrics and the owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and the NHL’s Utah Mammoth. He played a key role in creating the record-setting NIL package for Dybansta.
Danny Ainge, a former BYU Cougar basketball star and the CEO of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz, is also deeply involved.
Jason McGowan is the CEO of Crumbl Cookies. Last season, the Cougars defeated their in-state rivals, the Utah Utes, 24 to 21 in a Top 25 showdown at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo. Students stormed the field, and the Big 12 threatened to fine BYU $50,000.
McGowan said he would pay the fine himself.
The conference decided not to fine the university, so McGowan redirected those funds to eliminate student lunch debt across Provo City and Salt Lake City school districts and distributed funds directly to the football players through NIL opportunities.
NIL deals are not going away, and BYU wishes to compete just like every other university to build a strong athletic program.
It is important to understand that BYU sports are completely funded by outside donors, and NIL deals do not come directly from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
And that is what sets the Cougars apart from even the biggest college athletics programs.
For many other schools, fans will bear the cost for revenue sharing with players. Ticket prices are on the rise, as are the prices of concessions. The Associated Press reports that the Tennessee Volunteers have added a “talent fee” to their ticket prices, and Clemson added an athletic surcharge of $150 to every students’ tuition bill.
While ticket prices have slightly increased for BYU athletics, outside donors’ foot the largest part of the bill to make sure BYU athletics can compete nationally for many years to come.