Texas Tech's Kirby Hocutt pushes for more third-party NIL deals

The university's athletic director is also supporting a new collective to boost NIL opportunities for student-athletes.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 10:21am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist, geometric painting featuring overlapping planes of scarlet red and black, conceptually representing the complex, multi-faceted nature of college sports NIL deals and the financial support available to student-athletes.Texas Tech's push for more third-party NIL deals aims to give its student-athletes a competitive financial edge in the rapidly evolving college sports landscape.Midland Today

Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt is advocating for more third-party name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for the school's student-athletes. Hocutt is also backing the creation of a new collective that will help facilitate additional NIL opportunities beyond what the university can provide directly.

Why it matters

The rapidly evolving NIL landscape has become a key competitive factor in college sports recruiting and retention. Hocutt's push for more third-party NIL deals and a new collective aims to give Texas Tech a recruiting edge and provide more financial support for its student-athletes.

The details

Hocutt spoke about his NIL strategy at a recent Red Raider Club event in Midland, Texas. He emphasized the importance of leveraging third-party businesses and collectives to supplement the university's own NIL program. The new collective Hocutt is backing will be separate from the school and focused on connecting student-athletes with local and regional companies for endorsement and sponsorship deals.

  • Hocutt discussed his NIL plans at a Red Raider Club event in Midland, Texas on the next-to-last weekend in March.

The players

Kirby Hocutt

The athletic director at Texas Tech University who is pushing for more third-party name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and the creation of a new collective to facilitate additional NIL opportunities for the school's student-athletes.

Cody Campbell

The chair of the Texas Tech Board of Regents and a board member of the Matador Club, who spoke about his lifelong love for Texas Tech football at the Red Raider Club event where Hocutt discussed his NIL strategy.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“But I will give this to the Baton Rouge community,”

— Cody Campbell, Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair, Matador Club Board Member

The takeaway

Hocutt's focus on expanding third-party NIL deals and creating a new collective demonstrates Texas Tech's commitment to staying competitive in the evolving college sports landscape. This strategy aims to provide more financial support and opportunities for the school's student-athletes.