When a billionaire oil executive decides to shake up college football, everyone pays attention.
Cody Campbell isn’t just throwing money at Texas Tech’s NIL program; he’s rewriting how schools compete for elite talent while fighting to reform the system he’s dominating.
How Did Billionaire Cody Campbell Transform Texas Tech Into an NIL Powerhouse?
Cody Campbell has become a central figure in reshaping the NIL landscape at Texas Tech, orchestrating one of the most aggressive pushes in the nation to secure elite talent through values-driven leadership and financial backing.
As chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents and a billionaire oil executive, Campbell has used his influence to vault the Red Raiders into national prominence. The most striking example came with a groundbreaking $2.3 million NIL deal for prized recruit Felix Ojo.
Ojo, a 6’7″, 285-pound lineman, was heavily pursued by blue-blood programs such as Texas, Michigan, Florida, and defending national champion Ohio State. But it was Texas Tech, once considered an outsider in these recruiting battles, that landed him through a revenue-sharing agreement reportedly worth at least $2.3 million over three years.
This approach has completely transformed how the Red Raiders compete. Campbell’s financial backing has turned Tech into a top destination for elite talent, allowing them to capitalize on the transfer portal while aggressively targeting high school athletes nationwide.
Why Does Campbell Want to Reform the System If He’s Winning?
Speaking with On3’s Andy and Ari at Big 12 Media Days, Campbell acknowledged the duality of competing within the current NIL system while advocating for reform.
“We’ve played the game as well as we could based on the rules that are in place,” he said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that I think it’s good for the long-term health of the sport or all the sports, because I know it’s not.”
Beyond his NIL investments, Campbell has launched an initiative called “Saving College Sports,” which aims to preserve Olympic and non-revenue sports amid rising financial pressures.
“There are 500,000 student-athletes in the country,” he said. “The kids that play non-revenue sports are just as important as the kids who play football and men’s basketball.”
While Campbell insists athletes should be compensated, he opposes a monopolized model that benefits only the top-tier programs. His vision extends far beyond just winning recruiting battles for Texas Tech.
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“The opportunity the kid gets at Colorado State is just as important as the opportunity the kid gets at Georgia,” he said. “We have to have a sustaining level of cash flow coming through.”
Campbell even drew parallels to a political moment, quoting U.S. President Donald Trump when he said, “We’re playing the game because we want to be competitive, but that doesn’t mean we think it’s the right thing to do.”
As NIL continues to reshape college football, Campbell represents a unique position in the landscape. He’s both a participant and a reformer, using his resources to compete at the highest level while working to ensure the system works for everyone involved in college athletics.