Jeff Traylor has done a phenomenal job as the head college football coach at UTSA and is, by all accounts, thrilled to be in San Antonio. However, the Roadrunners cannot continue to succeed without an increase in NIL funding.
Wins and losses are directly tied to money in the modern era of the sport and programs without a lucrative financial backing will slowly fade into irrelevance.
Traylor does not want that to happen at UTSA. He made a public plea for a major donation during his weekly radio show on Tickets 760 on Wednesday night.
UTSA is way behind when it comes to Name, Image and Likeness. The Roadrunners moved from Conference USA to the American in 2023. Traylor admitted that other AAC programs are doing a much better job of fundraising. Two schools stand out in particular.
We’re getting our teeth kicked in by Memphis and South Florida.
— Jeff Traylor
Teams with more NIL money have a higher chance of landing top talent on the recruiting trail. They can offer a similar on-field experience and a more lucrative financial future.
Traylor is obviously dealing with the opposite issue. He isn’t able to compete with the Tigers or the Bulls when it comes to NIL opportunity. That can crater a program in a very short amount of time.
UTSA went 7-5 in 2020, 12-2 in 2021, 11-3 in 2022 and 9-4 in 2023. The Roadrunners recorded their first three seasons with nine or more wins in back-to-back-to-back seasons, which also happened to be three of Traylor’s first four seasons as head coach.
Even though other schools offered him the chance to leave as a result of his impressive run, the 56-year-old turned them down and decided to stay put. That’s great, but if money is tight, it won’t matter.
Traylor is begging for somebody to step up.
I’m hoping someone big time is going to invest in our program. We need that.
— Jeff Traylor
HEB, Andeavor and Valero are the most prominent brands based out of San Antonio. If any (or all) of the three were to step up, Jeff Traylor would be set at UTSA. If not, the Roadrunners risk a nosedive.