SAN ANTONIO — There's no question NIL (Name/Image/Likeness) has forever changed the landscape of college athletics.
They say recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, and now will college athletes getting paid for their efforts, the San Antonio business dollar will be called upon for UTSA athletic programs like never before.
On Monday, the PM Group designated $360,000 over the next three years for UTSA football. We talked with head coach Jeff Traylor about that on Tuesday and he essentially made the pitch that, that was the first city corporate cash domino of many that will need to fall to keep Roadrunner football competitive in this very new age of NCAA competition.
"Recruits aren't stupid," he said. "They look and see what the other guys are getting. They follow on Twitter. They are smart to say that, well, if those guys are getting it I'm sure if I go there and get it going that somebody in that community is gonna take care of me."
"Discussing who is coming back, and who is not coming back is not real important right now, but it is gonna be. I can promise you that them loving Coach Traylor and San Antonio might not be enough," Traylor says.
He continues saying "If you can get only $2.10 a month, or $21 a month or $210 a month or $2100 a month or $21,000 or $210,000 or $2,100,000, we'll take it."
The Roadrunners return to the field Saturday evening hosting Western Kentucky. It's a rematch of last year's drama inside the Alamodome when the Roadrunners won the 2021 Conference USA Championship.