While players like Coleman Hawkins, Hunter Dickinson, Oumar Ballo, and more voiced their frustration with NIL numbers getting leaked, on Wednesday, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin’s NIL number was announced.
According to multiple reports, Toppin is set to earn four million dollars from Texas Tech to return for his junior season, making him undoubtedly one of college basketball’s highest-paid athletes.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander was first to break the news regarding Toppin’s earnings, saying, “JT Toppin is expected to be paid ~$4 million in NIL earnings at Texas Tech next season, a source tells CBS Sports. The latest/biggest piece of evidence that reflects how invested TTU is in basketball—and a positive development for the sport to retain a player as great as Toppin.”
In 2024-25, Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins was reported as the top-earning player in college basketball, with NIL funds eclipsing the two-million-dollar mark. Just two weeks into the transfer portal after the season’s final games, that number has been crossed numerous times.
Toppin posted some incredible numbers in his first season with the Red Raiders, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. The Texas native recorded 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 55.4% shooting from the field.
While NIL money can be a dangerous topic in the modern era of college basketball, for Texas Tech Basketball, it resulted in their star big man returning to Lubbock for another year of domination.
