Hello friends, thanks to everyone who participated and sent DMs.
I think we covered most of the major topics and questions that came up. I feel like I blinked and we are almost to February. Let’s dive in.
Q: Maybe it’s just PTSD, but how does the Utah State basketball job stack up against a lower-tier Big 12 job like Cincinnati or Arizona State? — @DCon90
A: For my friends in Cache Valley, this feels like an annual tradition: Will (insert coach here) leave or not?
The good news for Utah State fans is this: The program’s success has outgrown any single coach. The data backs it up, but so does the culture. Utah State basketball works because of its ecosystem — students first, fans and season ticket holders right behind them, and institutional support that has steadily improved over time.
Now to the actual question: How does Utah State stack up against Big 12 jobs?
To answer that, let’s lean on the 2024 NCAA Membership Financial Reporting System (MFRS) data.
Is it perfect? No.
Is it the closest thing we have to a universal financial snapshot of college athletics? Yes.
I’m using 2024 because 2025 reports were due recently, and only about half of the schools have returned their open record requests.
Men’s Basketball Financial Snapshot (2024)
Total Expenses
- Utah State: $5,145,303
- Arizona State: $9,663,524
- Cincinnati: $12,355,601
Coaching Salaries, Benefits, and Bonuses (University/Related Entities)
- Utah State: $2,263,667
- Arizona State: $4,743,188
- Cincinnati: $4,388,470
Guarantee Game Expenses
- Utah State: $259,834
- Arizona State: $182,482
- Cincinnati: $648,000
Total Recruiting Expenses
- Utah State: $144,886
- Arizona State: $235,192
- Cincinnati: $511,594
Attendance 2025-2026 and Capacity Percentage per NCAA Stats
- Utah State: 9,167 (89%)
- Arizona State: 7,308 (51%)
- Cincinnati: 9,598 (79%)
Head Coach Compensation (2025–26, via Extra Points Library)
- Jerrod Calhoun (Utah State): $1.85 million
- Bobby Hurley (Arizona State): $3.0 million
- Wes Miller (Cincinnati): $2.95 million
(I’ll add that the Calhoun contract breakdown will be utilized in our coaching carousel series)
So what does this tell us?
Financially, Utah State is not competing with Big 12 programs on raw spending. The gap is real, sometimes double, sometimes more. But that’s not really the point. You asked how the job stacks up, and those numbers are simply a quantitative snapshot from 30,000 feet.
Do they tell the whole story?
No.
Qualitatively, Utah State offers built-in advantages that won’t show up in any financial spreadsheet. For comparative purposes, Utah State is a basketball school. It’s the sport the institution is most closely associated with, culturally and historically.
Conference context matters too. The Big 12 is a very tough and deep league. Kansas, Texas Tech, Houston, and Arizona all spend well north of $12 million annually on men’s basketball, with Kansas pushing just under $20 million in operating expenses. Put Colorado, at roughly $8.8 million in men’s basketball operating budget, into the Mountain West, and it would sit at the top of the current conference spending hierarchy.
That’s the crux of the comparison: In the Big 12, you’re fighting uphill financially and competitively every night. At Utah State, you’re operating in a league where the program’s identity, tradition, and competitive positioning give you a clearer runway to win.
Every head coaching change in Logan has, in some ways, strengthened the program. I believe it was John Hartwell, when a coaching change was made, who spoke a lot about “opportunity costs.” Each transition has triggered renewed institutional investment, donor engagement, and upgrades to resources. Chaos has often created opportunity. And that’s part of why the job is so attractive … it just keeps getting better. Side note here: The opportunity costs also go up at Arizona State and Cincinnati should a move be made.
If someone comes calling, though, don’t expect Utah State to sit quietly. Cam Walker and the administration will fight hard to keep their guy.
Utah State is not a Big 12 job financially, but it is one of the best non–power conference jobs in the country. And there are plenty of sitting head coaches who would love that opportunity. That’s not speculation — that’s reality.
Q: What’s your prediction for the conference that Saint Mary’s makes a deal with this spring? — @DellyMouthguard
A: First off, elite username. Easily one of my favorites.
Here’s the short version: I think Saint Mary’s stays in the West Coast Conference. Emphasis on think. (For more context on this question – click here)
I still struggle to believe that UC San Diego — a program that was Division II just five years ago — was paid roughly $10 million to join the WCC, while the Gaels walked away with nothing in return for the new flagship school. Gonzaga famously negotiated a sweetheart deal in 2019, and it wouldn’t shock me if some version of that leverage extended to Saint Mary’s as well.
That’s not to say the Mountain West or Pac-12 couldn’t make a move. Either league could, in theory, pay an exit fee to secure the Gaels and strengthen its footprint. If the price point mirrors UCSD’s entry figure, you’re probably talking somewhere in the $7–10 million range, given Saint Mary’s existing WCC membership.
I’ve also heard that Saint Mary’s, like many private institutions, is feeling pressure from the enrollment cliff and the financial realities of the new era of college athletics. That matters. Right now, the Gaels sit near the top of the WCC in men’s basketball spending. In the Mountain West or Pac-12, they’d likely fall closer to the bottom of the financial hierarchy.
Selfishly, I’d love to see them make the jump; it would be fascinating from a competitive standpoint. But strategically, Saint Mary’s is a pillar of the WCC. And if the league’s future revolves around the Gaels, the Tritons, and the Dons, the WCC tournament is going to be a must-watch every March.
Q: I will combine @gbruce_12 and @DDTwoodlands who ask about realignment and if there are any additional movements to be expected.
A: Realignment — the evergreen topic that I absolutely love.
Right now, things are relatively quiet, both in the West and within the UAC footprint. If there is such a thing as a “dead period” in realignment, it’s usually January through early March. Administrators prefer not to stir the pot around conference tournaments, league meetings, and postseason optics.
Last year, we saw Big West and WAC movement start to leak during this window, but the circumstances were different. At the moment, there isn’t a conference on the verge of collapse, which naturally slows the pace.
The UAC has been active in communicating with institutions. It was never a well-kept secret which schools were being discussed in expansion conversations, but the current pulse suggests the OVC is largely off-limits. The league has made a clear internal commitment to stability and, frankly, is enjoying the benefits of a smaller membership with redistributed resources.
As we move toward the end of the 2027 moratorium on Division II reclassifications, I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one institution emerges as a candidate for either the UAC or OVC. A conference invitation can accelerate — or even solve — many of the hurdles associated with NCAA transitions, especially for schools already deep in the process.
On the Mountain West and Pac-12 front: Quiet.
Before things heat up again, several legal and financial questions need to be resolved, including the true cost of litigation and exit fees. Long-term, it feels inevitable that the Pac-12 will need at least one more football member and another basketball-centric institution to stabilize its identity.
The Mountain West, meanwhile, still feels like it’s missing a piece. Could that be North Dakota State? New Mexico State? Maybe. I’m not making a prediction — but the league doesn’t quite feel finished yet.
I wish I had more to report, but for now, the board is relatively still. And in realignment, silence often means conversations are happening somewhere behind closed doors.
Q: In an interview today with the NDSU athletic director, your realignment article came up. He suggested your assertion — that some on campus favor an FBS move while others are less certain — was incorrect, saying he and the president are in “lockstep” about building toward the highest level. — @DrewEly42
A: Thanks for the heads-up — I went back and listened. Matt Larsen gave exactly the answer you’d expect from a seasoned athletic director. He’s one of the best in the country at what he does, as is Dom Izzo’s show!
Let’s play a hypothetical for a second. Even if my story is entirely accurate and there are differing viewpoints internally, would Larsen say that publicly or create daylight between himself and an outgoing president? Of course not. Public alignment is part of the job.
Both things can be true. NDSU can believe in playing at the highest level possible while the campus debates what that actually means, how fast to move, and what it would (or should) cost.
North Dakota State could compete in the FBS tomorrow. The real question isn’t capability — it’s timing, finances, conference-driven, and institutional appetite.
That’s where realignment decisions are really made.
RELATED: NDSU Financial Data And How It Stacks Up With The FBS
Q: What is Steve Alford’s contract situation? Does he have a buyout? — UNR Fan in my DMs
A: Yes, Steve Alford effectively has a buyout, but it’s structured more like guaranteed contract protection than a traditional lump-sum clause. His Nevada deal, signed in 2019 and running through April 30, 2029, pays him a base salary of roughly $300,000 per year, with the bulk of his compensation coming through media, appearance, and his own name, image, and likeness licensing fees paid to his LLC. Those combined payments push his total annual compensation to roughly $1.4–$1.5 million.
If Nevada were to terminate Alford without cause, the university would owe him the remaining value of the contract — including base salary, media fees, NIL licensing fees, and any unpaid retention bonuses through the end of the term. With roughly three-plus years remaining, that would put Nevada’s potential obligation in the range of $4.5–$5.5 million, depending on timing.
I don’t foresee UNR administration moving on from Alford after this year. I think the new-look Mountain West will ultimately benefit both the Wolf Pack and Alford. I understand there’s some frustration after last year’s 17–16 (8–12) finish and another middle-of-the-pack season, but I still expect him to get at least one more year before — if anything — the seat starts to warm up.
