‘We’re poor’: Sampson bemoans UH’s low budget

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said his top-10 team can’t sign more recruits because the school’s athletic department is «very poor.»

After the eighth-ranked Cougars’ 79-55 victory Wednesday over UCF, Sampson said his team’s greatest hurdle in recruiting is a lack of funding.

«We have a very poor athletic department,» he said. «We’re poor. We were poor when I got here, and we’re still poor.

«We probably have the lowest budget of anybody in Power 4. The way our recruiting is going, we have to stop at some point because we don’t have the money to keep bringing in many good players. And that’s not easy for us to do.»

According to a USA Today database, Houston was ranked 56th in Division I athletics with revenue of $78 million — or nearly one-third of rival Texas‘ athletic budget — in 2024.

Houston officials did not immediately respond to ESPN’s request for comment, but, in a letter to the fan base in July, athletic director Eddie Nunez issued a «call to action» to raise additional revenue for NIL opportunities.

«Looking ahead to the 2025-26 year, we are embracing the new era of college athletics with a positive mindset of bold ambition, strategic investment, and relentless pursuit of excellence,» Nunez said in the letter. «We are not just keeping pace with change; we are setting the standard. Whether it’s pushing boundaries in performance, academic success, or community engagement, our standard is simple: excellence in everything we do. While revenue-sharing with student-athletes is now officially upon us, it is critical that we also maintain NIL opportunities for our student-athletes.»

Sampson’s claims of Houston’s NIL challenges did not stop him from building one of the top rosters in America. Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. were two of the most coveted — and expensive — five-star recruits in the current class. In the 2026 class, Houston has already signed a pair of top-35 recruits, too.

Sampson added Wednesday that his current roster is «getting exactly what the market is for them» and «not starving.» But he warned that future roster-building could become more challenging unless his athletic department boosts revenue.

«Teams that have the best recruiting classes usually have the most money. That’s the way it is today,» Sampson said. «Who knows who else we’ll sign? Depends on how much money we have.»