The joys of the Name, Image and Likeness era.
Florida football coach Jon Sumrall is stumping the state for money, meeting with big fish donors throughout the state this month to frame his NIL strategy. Sumrall is pushing the envelope when it comes to NIL, promising the greater the contributions, the greater the access.
Credit Sumrall for treating fundraising with the same urgency as fixing the weight room and other aspects of the Florida Gators program. He’s appeared on numerous podcasts and TV stations across the state and country to sell his message. The 43-year-old Sumrall is bright, energetic and telegenic, all essential qualities to charm boosters to open their wallets.
According to an Al.com report, Florida ranked 10th in the SEC in athletic donations in 2024-25 at a shade under $50 million ($49,666,976, to be exact).
The good news? The Gators aren’t far behind oil-rich Texas A&M (ninth at $50,013,895) or rival Georgia (eighth at $52,123,536). The bad news? Texas led the SEC with a whopping $167,786,462, followed by Tennessee at $110,626,678.
Spending, though, doesn’t always equate to success. Georgia won the SEC in football by receiving just a third of donation money compared to Texas and less than half what the Vols received. The Vols and Longhorns, meanwhile, were on the outside looking into the College Football Playoff this past season.
The Kirby Smart discount helps, as Georgia has developed a proven pipeline to winning and NFL riches in his 10 years as head coach. Florida can sell sending players to the NFL as well, even though it hasn’t won at nearly the same level as UGA the past five years.
Florida football needs to win to reel in its big catch
The NIL era hasn’t been kind to Florida, as UF has endured four losing seasons in five years under former coaches Dan Mullen and Billy Napier since its 2021 implementation.
Donor fatigue is high. There have been some missteps along the way, including the embarrassing Jaden Rashada fiasco that led to Napier, former UF director of NIL strategy Marcus Castro-Walker and Hugh Hatchock being sued by the former five-star quarterback recruit. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount last February.
Sumrall needs to follow the blueprint set by Florida basketball Todd Golden, which is win first, and then the dollars will come.
Like Sumrall, Golden is charming, smart and telegenic. But the dollars didn’t start to flow in for the Florida basketball program until UF’s first NCAA Tournament trip under Golden in 2024 and subsequent national title in 2025. It’s reached a zenith in 2026, with a potential payroll that could hover between $15-20 million if Rueben Chinyelu opts to take his name out of the NBA draft. That’s what it takes to retain the best frontcourt in college basketball, a trio that includes All-American forward Thomas Haugh, All-SEC forward Alex Condon and Chinyelu, the reigning Naismith defensive player of the year.
Until then, Sumrall and general manager Dave Caldwell need to be creative with the resources they have and find undervalued, hidden gems. A potential example of that strategy was the signing of Jacksonville State transfer defensive end Emmanuel Oyebadejo, who at 6-foot-6 and 303 pounds with a 35 1/2-inch wingspan projects as a potential disruptive defensive player at the SEC level.
It will take finding new boosters as well. Their willingness to give will hinge on Sumrall and his staff producing an entertaining, winning product, which Golden has done. Credit Sumrall for not downplaying expectations. He wants Florida to win fast and is preparing his team with that mindset.
Time will tell if it works but at least Sumrall is out there trying to build a fundraising foundation. But the needs to center on the on-field product as well. Donors will gladly spend if you prove you have a plan that works.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Why Florida football coach Jon Sumrall must win first for dollars to follow
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
