Unlike college football’s blue-blood programs such as Notre Dame and Alabama, the Arizona State Sun Devils don’t have rivers of booster money flowing behind the scenes. In the current NIL-driven era, that gap is becoming impossible to ignore, because recruiting today isn’t just about facilities, development, or vision. It’s about how quickly a program can assemble a competitive roster with real financial backing.
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While schools like Texas Tech and Utah have leaned into massive NIL war chests, some north of $25 million, Arizona State has largely been forced to operate without the same financial safety net.
That’s exactly why the Sun Devils’ head coach, Kenny Dillingham, made headlines this week. Fresh off signing a five-year extension worth roughly $7.5 million annually, Dillingham didn’t celebrate with platitudes. Instead, he delivered a blunt message about what Arizona State needs to take the next step.
“We need to find one of these really rich people in this city to step up and stroke a check. You’re telling me there’s not one person who could stroke a $20 million check right now? There is somebody out here who can,” Dillingham said.
Dillingham understands the math. Arizona State just went 8-4 and earned a Sun Bowl berth, but they’re also staring at major roster turnover. Star quarterback Sam Leavitt, who carried an estimated $2.1 million NIL valuation, has entered the transfer portal. Replacing that level of talent, especially after a CFP appearance in 2024, requires real spending power. And that’s where things took a turn toward the surreal.
Shortly after Dillingham’s comments made the rounds, Arizona State beat reporter Anthony Totri floated a wild idea on social media. What if MrBeast funded the Sun Devils’ NIL operation for a season as a YouTube experiment?
The pitch was simple and absurd in the best way. MrBeast, who is known to splurge money on the whackiest experiments, will bankroll a $20 million NIL pool, Arizona State chases a national title, and the entire thing becomes a massive YouTube or Amazon docuseries. Exposure, funding, and chaos, all in one.
Hear me out…
What if @MrBeast funded a year of NIL for Arizona State to win a National Championship for a video. Make it an Amazon show or YT series. Major media exposure, roster is funded and Mr. Beast completes the wildest sports challenge ever. pic.twitter.com/f0vopig2dy
— Anthony Totri (@Anthony_Totri) December 21, 2025
In response to the idea, the majority of football fans online expressed their delight and excitement.
“This would make everyone auto ASU fans for the season. I support this experiment. Thing is that it’s really hard to get to the championship level with a transfer portal team after one season. This should be a 2 season experiment minimum,” wrote one.
Others, meanwhile, offered variations on the theme by suggesting that James Harden, an Arizona State alum, is perhaps a more realistic benefactor. “Maybe James Harden? He’s an alum,” they added.
North Carolina fans, however, weren’t impressed with Totri’s idea as they reminded him how the YouTuber would pick the Tar Heels first if he ever thought of such an idea. “Well since he’s from the great state of North Carolina… I think UNC Football would be getting Mr Beast services,” shot back a Tar Heel faithful.
Underneath the jokes, though, sat a very real truth. Arizona State’s on-field rise under Kenny Dillingham has been legitimate. Recruiting has jumped from outside the top 100 to flirting with top-25 classes. But sustaining that momentum without serious NIL backing is close to impossible.
So even if the MrBeast idea may never materialize, the fact that it gained traction at all speaks volumes. And whether that $20 million comes from a billionaire booster, a former alum, or the most famous YouTuber on the planet, Arizona State’s next leap will certainly be decided based on its balance sheet.
