Wichita State University athletic director Keven Saal has alerted fans to what it will take from a fundraising standpoint to keep the Shockers men's basketball program on pace with schools that were national contenders this year.
As reported by CBS affiliate KWCH, Saal said in a letter to the WSU community that the program’s “current 2025/26 NIL/Revenue Share allocation needs an additional $1 million to elevate overall roster talent/depth and compete at the national level of excellence we’ve all come to expect.”
“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, as reported by KWCH's Matt Heilman. “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.”
Since January 2023, privately funded NIL/Revenue Share resources to support the men’s basketball program have grown by more than 500%, according to Saal, adding that still more is required to meet performance expectations.
Determining that the men’s basketball team needs another $1 million came from an analysis of NIL/Revenue Share data for the programs that competed in the 2025 NCAA Sweet 16, Saal explained.
“Based upon accessible trustworthy data, our current secured resources to support the 2025-26 season position Shocker Men’s Basketball in a highly competitive place within our league. However, the standard for Wichita State Men’s Basketball is much higher,” Saal wrote.
