Since time immemorial, recruitment has been half the battle in college basketball. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson further underscored the point following their win over Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
No. 2 Houston walloped No. 15 Idaho, 78-47, at Paycom Center on Thursday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight time.
The Cougars' sustained success has been impressive. Even more so when you consider Sampson's admission that they do not have a large budget compared to other big-time programs.
“We have a very poor athletic department. We're poor. We're poor when I got here, we're still poor. We probably have the lowest budget of anybody in the Power Four,” said Sampson in a video posted by Front Office Sports.
“The way our recruiting is going, we have to stop at some point because we don't have enough money to keep bringing in really good players. That's not easy for us to do.”
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson says the Cougars are operating with the lowest budget in the Power Four.
“At some point, we have to stop… we don’t have enough money to keep bringing in really good players.” pic.twitter.com/5FEJ0IVzPg
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 24, 2026
A school is only as good as its recruitment, as they say. The entry of NIL made things even more complicated, with some claiming that it created a deeper imbalance in college basketball, leaving small-time programs with lesser chances to get top prospects.
According to a report from Houston Chronicle's Joseph Duarte, Houston lost over $6 million in 2025, the second straight time the athletic department had a deficit.
“Even though the Cougars had revenue of $92.7 million, the total still ranks among the lowest among major conference schools,” wrote Duarte.
Despite the issue, Sampson was able to entice Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac Jr., and Isiah Harwell to join the Cougars, helping them maintain their spot as one of the nation's top squads.
