By Mark Pszonak
Recently, Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter announced his retirement, citing the crazy current NIL and transfer portal world as the main reason. On Monday, he gave more insight during an interview, which included a claim that Oregon was recruiting a Bronco offensive lineman who wasn’t in the portal.
Coach Koetter went on Boise Sports Talk Radio (KTIK 95.3 FM) and gave details on a number of topics. You can listen to the full interview here:
Prater & The Ballgame: January 6, 2025 – (IN STUDIO) Dirk Koetter https://t.co/if6ncKAz5r
— KTIK 95.3 FM The Ticket (@KTIK_953FM) January 7, 2025
There are specific parts of this interview that are worth discussing. First was Coach Koetter’s openness of Boise State’s current NIL situation compared to other schools.
“Our salary cap is $2 million. And that’s up from maybe something like $1.6 million last year, but it’s around $2 million. Every calendar year, that’s what it is right now, and trying to grow it. But the people we’re competing against, maybe not in our current conference, but where we’re going and who we’re expected to compete against, it’s as high as $20 million.”
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This shouldn’t be a surprise but further proves the gap between G5 programs like Boise State and top tier SEC and Big Ten programs. The Broncos are an annual winner on the field, but their struggle off the field is immense.
He also discussed the difficulty of retaining a roster due to tampering from other programs.
“I know for a fact that just last week, after the Fiesta Bowl, one of the key starters on defense got a call from the Oregon Ducks offering him $700,000,” Koetter then discussed a key offensive player. “Kage Casey, Casey’s probably going to be a first-round pick. He would’ve probably been a high pick this year, but I do think he needs another year to develop. I’m sure he could’ve got close to a million dollars in the portal.”
No key Boise State defensive starter was in the transfer portal at the time of this interview, and none have entered since. Also, if Boise State’s annual NIL budget is only $2 million, knowing that one player is getting offered $700,000 by another school really magnifies their difficulty.
Tampering is rampant and uncontrolled, so hearing that Oregon contacted a player who wasn’t in the transfer portal shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. It is just another blatant example of it happening. People can and will complain about it, but chances are the school you cheer for every Saturday is likely doing the same thing.
Overall, this is just another example of the reality of major college sports in 2025.
