Texas AD clarifies OSU proposal, refutes NIL total

DESTIN, Fla. -- Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte on Wednesday clarified two issues the football program has made recent headlines for, including a scheduling change request for the season opener against Ohio State and the total amount of NIL money poured into the current roster.

Front Office Sports reported Tuesday that Fox Sports approved Ohio State's idea of moving the blockbuster Week 1 matchup against Texas on Aug. 30 in Columbus from Saturday's noon time slot to prime time Sunday night.

Del Conte, speaking to a small group of reporters at SEC spring meetings, confirmed he was approached about moving the game to Sunday night -- but shut it down because of the day, not the time.

"Why would I want to move the game to Sunday night and have a short week for our boys who were just told we're kicking off at high noon?" he said. "It was never about moving the time of day. It was just, 'Hey do you want to move the day?' And I go, 'we're not moving. We're contractually obligated to this day.' That was it, but you know, the craziness is oh my God, they said no. I just said no to Sunday. I gotta go to church. I mean, hot dang."

Del Conte also refuted a report that the football program spent $40 million to comprise its roster.

"That's bananas," he said.

Del Conte said that because of Texas state laws, he doesn't know how much NIL money is going to football players, but that will change soon if the NCAA settlement is approved.

It will introduce a revenue-sharing model that will allow schools to pay about $20 million directly to players in all sports, with football expected to occupy the bulk of that sum.

Del Conte said Texas will split its revenue share into percentages of 75 (football), 15 (men's basketball), 5 (women's basketball) and 5 (other sports).

"If you put it in an ecosystem of two years, that could possibly be it," Del Conte said of a $40 million football revenue, "but that's not a number that's accurate [now]."

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian also refuted the number this week.

"I wish I had $40 million on our roster," Sarkisian told Sirius XM this week. "We'd probably be a little better team than we are."