Billionaire Mark Cuban has made another donation to Indiana University’s name, image, and likeness program as his alma mater prepares to compete in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, according to Front Office Sports.
«Already committed for this portal,» Cuban reportedly said in an email to the sports news website, referring to the NCAA’s transfer portal that opened on Jan. 2. He didn’t say how much he donated. «Let’s just say they are happier this year than last year,» Cuban added.
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Cuban, who’s worth $6 billion according to Forbes, has made several donations to IU, including a $5 million endowment in 2015 to help the university build a sports media center. He’s also donated more than $8 million to the school’s rugby club, which he played in as a student.
He initially refused to donate money for the school’s athletics department, but changed his mind in 2024 after speaking with IU head football coach Curt Cignetti, CBS Sports reported in October.
«I’m not a fan of anything that I believe raises tuition in the least bit,» Cuban told CBS Sports at the time. «But after getting to talk to Cig and seeing what was going on, they kinda talked me into it.»
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He did not say how much his first donation was worth, but added it was a «big number» and did not specify how the money should be spent, according to CBS Sports.
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How Cuban’s donation helps IU
The NCAA’s NIL program has become a central part of how universities’ athletics departments recruit top players in recent years.
Under the program’s rules, alumni and other benefactors can donate to an NIL collective, a third-party organization that then pays student athletes for things like signing autographs or making sponsored posts on social media.
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Cuban’s large donations allow IU to make high value offers to student athletes who enter the NCAA’s transfer portal, a strategy that appears to be paying off.
Texas Christian University quarterback Josh Hoover signed an agreement with IU shortly after the portal opened on Jan. 2, as did Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and Boston College running back Turbo Richard, according to media reports.
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Fernando Mendoza, IU’s starting quarterback, transferred to the school earlier this year from the University of California, Berkeley and earned more than $2 million in NIL deals, according to media reports. Mendoza led IU to an undefeated regular season and their first-ever National Championship game, which will be against the University of Miami.
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This article 'Let's Just Say They Are Happier This Year than Last Year.' Mark Cuban Increases Indiana University's NIL Funding Amid School's CFP Run originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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