Burman, UW Athletics Seeking Additional Revenue Streams

LARAMIE -- UNLV wasted little time finding a new revenue stream.

Though the NCAA has yet to green light advertisements on collegiate uniforms, Wyoming's Mountain West foe is getting ahead of the game, inking a 5-year, $11 million deal with Acesso Biologics, the school announced on Monday.

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Rebel football, men's and women's basketball, along with the baseball team, will all don patches, representing the regenerative medicine company, which was also the on-field sponsor for the program in 2025.

A vote in January will determine if the corporate jersey patch proposal will be allowed. If so, it would take effect in August.

Will the Cowboys ever go this route in order to add to its coffers?

"If the NCAA allows jersey patches, we're going to do the same thing," UW Athletics Director Tom Burman said. "But we're not going to give it away."

Wyoming is also in the market for a permanent field sponsor inside War Memorial Stadium.

Ramos Law, a firm based out of Colorado, purchased that space for the Cowboys' home finale last month against Nevada -- the "Josh Allen game" -- for a reported $90,000-plus. The company logo was placed at both 25 yards lines.

There was uproar from some in the fanbase. According to a source, even select members of the school's board of trustees weren't pleased with the ultimate decision. The bottom line, though, Burman said, these funds can significantly increase the program's revenue-sharing, including adding to the $1.5 million in Name, Image and Likeness contracts that will be doled out between football, both basketball programs, volleyball and wrestling in the calendar year.

The $2.8 million "House Settlement" tab also includes scholarships ($300,000) and Alston money ($1 million).

It will all come at a cost.

"We are not going to give it away," Burman said, bluntly, adding the same can be said for the naming rights at the Arena-Auditorium. "That's a discussion I've had with my counterparts -- AD's -- and some have sold it for what I think is too low. Once you sell it at a price, it's hard to raise it. We need to get a field logo, and it needs to be something that's going to generate significant cash."

As far as the detractors go?

"There were fans who were upset that we had a logo on the field. I'm sorry," he added. "There are fans who didn't like who the logo was. I'm sorry. I've got a job to do, and we're going to work to do it."

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Jay Sawvel said late in the regular season it would take $2.5 million annually to win a "whole bunch of games." The second-year head football coach was referring to NIL money that will attract -- and retain -- the best possible roster to compete for conference championships.

He said Boise State, a program that along with four others -- San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State and Border War rival Colorado State -- will officially leave the Mountain West in July and join the new-look PAC-12 Conference, is spending north of $4 million on its football personnel. CSU will spend close to $7 million in revenue sharing, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Sean Lewis didn't give Sawvel a concrete number when his Aztecs and the Cowboys met in San Diego in November. It "wasn't nickels and dimes," UW's head coach added.

"I'm going to start playing Powerball in the offseason, too," Sawvel joked back on Nov. 24. "And if I hit one of those really big ones, we're going to be rolling with guys like Oregon for a couple years."

Is Wyoming close to the number Sawvel seeks?

"We're going to get very close," Burman said, adding the main fundraising arm of the department, the Cowboy Joe Club, is now in charge of NIL and the former collective, 1WYO, is no longer in business. "We have found a way this year to make significant growth, both in football and basketball."

But there is a caveat.

"We're going into a legislative session where they are talking about budget cuts. They call it reducing the size of government," he continued. "That could put a change in our plans. But right now, our revenues, which is where you want to share most of your dollars with the student athletes and comes from the revenues they generate, are up. So, we have a chance. That's our plan."

What are some other options?

Burman said with roughly 10-to-11,000 students, the department brings in around $2.4 "ish" million a year in fees. Compare that to CSU, a university with more than 33,000, and Wyoming is competing with schools that operate with $15 to $20 million, annually.

Burman said the state of Wyoming, along with the board of trustees, aggressively push back when it comes to raising those fees to make tuition as affordable as possible.

"We're asking for state funds this year to help us with a whole bunch of other operating areas like scholarships and summer school," he added. "We've just had massive inflation in health care. For example, we're spending about 100% more than we did three years ago, both in insurance and health care. We just got to get more money to help us so we don't have to make draconian cuts here in the next year.

"But what that does is that means we could free up some of the revenues that players generate through ticket sales, media rights, etc, to enhance that portion (NIL) of our budget."

How hard is it to get former athletes to donate?

Former UW wide receiver and 12-year NFL veteran Malcom Floyd has a room named after him in the High Altitude Performance Center for his contributions. NBA stars Theo Ratliff and Reggie Slater, along with fellow basketball players Dick Scarlett and Robert Rhynsburger, back in 2013 gave significant donations toward the renovation of the Arena-Auditorium.

Other former athletes, like football players Logan Wilson, Cody Ritchie and Dave Cronk, among others, have also given back.

The CJC has also relaunched the W-Club, a network for former letterwinners, coaches and others involved in athletics, to reconnect, reengage and support the next generation.

"Student-athletes, in general, it takes a long time, because when you leave a university, oftentimes you're physically beat, you're tired, and it was a hard grind. Then, you're young and you're in your career, you often have children," said Burman, who has served in his current position for 19 years and previously spent time at the UW Foundation and the CJC. "What's neat is, at some point, a lot of those guys give back.

"I mean, and I don't know when Josh (Allen) will decide to make a significant gift -- he's helpful -- but, he will, I can almost guarantee you. It may take longer than the fan base wants, but I wouldn't be surprised someday if Josh Allen did something transformational for the University of Wyoming. Logan Wilson, same thing. Frank Crum, same thing. But it may take 20 years. It is slow and it takes some time."