On November 4, 2023, the Washington State football team was shut out in the second half of a 10-7 home loss to 3-6 Stanford, the Cougars’ fifth straight setback under coach Jake Dickert. It was an ugly, soggy defeat for a collapsing program. Dickert sounded an alarm two days later, which has continued to ring ever since. “The facts are, at Washington State, we’re way behind, not even competitive in some aspects of the NIL,” Dickert said, emphasizing a wider issue than any single setback.
“In recruiting, these kids tell you exactly what they’re getting. Oregon State probably outnumbers us by tenfold [in NIL resources]. Arizona has us by 20 times. USC, Washington, Oregon… who knows? It’s an entirely different planet. That is a necessary component of our needs. In three weeks, our players will have an open target season.” The seasons shift. The names change. The same question remains. Will Washington State’s star quarterback survive when the wolves circle?
A year ago, junior Cameron Ward was the star quarterback, completing 66.6% of his throws and throwing for 3,735 yards with 33 total touchdowns (25 passing, eight running) and seven interceptions in his second season with the Cougars. When “open target season” arrived, Ward was unexpectedly recruited by Miami, where he has emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender while leading the Hurricanes to a 9-1 record and No. 8 College Football Playoff rating. In ten games, Ward has 66.8% completions, 3,494 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown, and six picks.
John Mateer, meanwhile, is having similar results. After redshirting in 2022 and serving as Ward’s backup last autumn, the third-year sophomore’s breakthrough has been well worth the wait. Mateer has effectively commanded the Cougs’ 8-2 comeback, tossing for 2,707 yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions while also leading WSU in rushing yards (695) and touchdowns (12). “Throwing, passing, running, he’s just a warrior out there, and I love it,” Dickert said after Mateer threw for 245 yards, two rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown, and an interception in an Apple Cup victory over Washington. “Right after he threw the interception, I looked him in the eye, and he said, ‘I got you, coach.’ That’s John Mateer. That is part of his unique personality. When that is the leader of your football squad, you have something very remarkable.”
How much money is WSU willing/able to invest to maintain something unique? When it comes to money, how convincing can the Cougars be? That’s a question that WSU supporters will most certainly worry about every year. It’s also a question the Cougar Collective is trying to answer. In a Seattle Times piece this week, WSU’s independent name, image, and likeness arm described its continuous fundraising attempts to deter Cougs like Mateer from bolting for promised paychecks. They include collaborations with Pike Brewing and Indaba Coffee, with an undisclosed portion of beer and coffee sales benefiting the Cougar Collective. They also include the “1890 Club,” which has over 2,200 members who give $18.90 per month to help keep the wolves at bay. While co-chair Luke Wetzstein declined to reveal how much the Cougar Collective has raised in 2024, he stated that “it should be in the $2 [million] to $3 million range” each year to be competitive across all sports. “Ideally it would probably be $3 [million] to $4 million.” In a perfect world—a whole new planet, according to Dickert—it would be far more than that. Consider the competition. In August, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork informed ESPN that the Buckeyes have a NIL budget of $20 million for the football team this season.
According to On3.com, Ward has a NIL evaluation of $2.1 million, which includes endorsement deals with Giorgio Armani, Adidas, Bose, EA Sports, C4 Energy, and Panini America. Mateer, on the other hand, has relationships with Northern Quest Casino and Resort as well as Miss Huddy’s Barbecue Cart in Pullman. Former WSU defensive back and Cougar Collective co-founder Paul Sorensen said on his “Old Crimson” podcast last week that Mateer had already received a $1 million offer from an outside program, despite the fact that the NCAA transfer portal does not open until December 9. Clearly, WSU lacks the media-rights funds and wealthy donor base to outspend everyone. However, in order to be successful in college football’s new normal, which will eventually involve revenue sharing, the Cougars must find innovative methods to keep its top athletes. This includes coaches like Dickert and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
Mateer must be the player’s top priority. “Where would Boise be without (Heisman contender running back Ashton) Jeanty?” Dickert informed Times reporter Scott Hanson. “They got together and offered the person a hefty payoff. So we need to discover ways to use our tools, resources, and alumni base.” Mateer and Jeanty have comparable offensive impact. Mateer threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns in last weekend’s 38-35 shock defeat to New Mexico, while also rushing for 65 yards and another touchdown. Mateer, who had missed a week of practice due to a foot ailment, carried the Cougs. And still, more than a year later, the same alarm sounds. The same overriding issue threatens to tear the Cougars apart. WSU’s regular season concludes with games against Oregon State and Wyoming before the program seeks its first bowl victory since 2018. However, the Cougars’ success in “open target season” – and their ability to keep Mateer – may be more important in the long run.
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