Houston Basketball Is Playing For $2 Million (In NIL) In Las Vegas — How Kelvin Sampson’s Embrace of Cutting Edge Ideas Helped Make It Happen

LAS VEGAS — Once the ball tips for Alabama v. Houston Round 3 at MGM Grand Gardens Arena, no is going to be thinking about the money in Kelvin Sampson’s work obsessed University of Houston basketball program. But with the winning team in this first ever Players Era Festival in line to walk away with around $2 million in Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) funds, the money’s certainly nothing to dismiss.

It certainly gets any college basketball player’s attention. In essence, Houston’s players are almost getting to live the NBA Cup life, getting to play a significant tournament in-season with a nice financial reward dangling there for NIL activities.

“Nah, I’ve never played for that much before,” Cougars graduate senior shooting guard LJ Cryer tells PaperCity, breaking into a laugh. “I ain’t every been part of a tournament like this. It’s like an NBA Cup thing. That’s what it reminds me of. But I’m not really paying too much attention to that.

“I’m just happy we get to play against high level teams and get that exposure. Being able to get battle tested so early. For me it’s just about going out there and winning those games. Everything else will take care of itself.”

The UH players are in position to possibly walk away with $2 million in NIL money as a group (through an NIL collective) because their 69-year-old basketball lifer of a coach still readily embraces trying new things. Houston was the first team to commit to the Players Era Festival and Kelvin Sampson’s bold move gave other top coaches more confidence to take the leap. It’s no jump to conclude that there is good chance that this pioneering tournament wouldn’t have such a power packed field for its first year (which includes No. 6 Houston, No. 9 Alabama, No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 21 Creighton, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Oregon and San Diego State) without Sampson’s early acceptance of it.

“I believe we were the first team to commit,” Kelvin Sampson tells PaperCity. “And I started to get all the coaches calling me.I said, ‘What do you guys think I am the guinea pig?’ If I didn’t think this had a chance, I wouldn’t be in it. I got on a Zoom call with those people in the private equity company (backing the tournament) and I asked them the requisite questions that needed to be asked. And so we had some agreements and we had some contingency plans.

“But at the end of the day. I hope it can continue. I know I got a lot of calls from coaches in our league about it. And we signed a three-year deal. Tough schedule, but so what?”

Kelvin Sampson may be nearing 70, but this coach still doesn’t shy away from the cutting edge and embracing new things that can boost his program. And, most importantly, help his players.

Landon Goesling, who played for Sampson and now serves as a Houston NIL guru and marketing agent, laughs at the notion some have about UH’s taskmaster coach being rigidly traditional and set in his ways.

“Oh my goodness, are you kidding me?” Goesling says, laughing about that perception. “Kelvin Sampson is all of the now. There’s no way around it. (NIL) is the reality that we live in. Everybody has their opinions. Some people love it. Some people don’t. It doesn’t matter, it’s the reality.

“And if we want to sustain championship level success, hanging banners and going deep into the (NCAA) Tournament, we’ve got to play the game.”

Landon Goesling has quickly emerged as one of the best and most genuine at playing the NIL game in the country over the last several years. Playing in Kelvin Sampson’s program taught him to obsess over the details, Goesling flew out to Las Vegas Sunday morning, more than a half day ahead of the UH team to make sure everything was being handled right in this brand new NIL tournament.

“I believe we were the first team to commit. And I started to get all the coaches calling me.I said, ‘What do you guys think I am the guinea pig?’ If I didn’t think this had a chance, I wouldn’t be in it.” — UH coach Kelvin Sampson

A Mini NIL March Madness In November?

This isn’t just a payday for the current players, it’s also the kind of thing top recruits notice. To get the NIL funds, which will be directed through each school’s NIL collective, the players in this Players Era Festival must do off-court NIL activities that included a Monday golf tournament and dinner — and more appearances. UH forward J’Wan Roberts’ picture is currently looming over the Las Vegas Strip, along with the images of a player from each of the seven other teams in the tournament.

“Their whole concept and idea is to kind of make it like the NBA in-season tournament,” Goesling says.”Kind of like a mini March Madness. With the financial piece of it, every single university is going to want to be in.”

The Top 10 matchup between Houston and Alabama — which will be the third time the Cougars and Crimson Tide have faced off in the last four seasons — on Tuesday night (7 pm Houston time on TBS and streaming on Max) is certainly the early marquee game of the tourney. Like with the NBA in-season tournament, point differential will come into play in determining which possible 2-0 teams after the first two days of the Players Era Festival advance to Saturday night’s championship game.

Kelvin Sampson’s confidence in this first-of-its-kind NIL tournament is buoyed by the fact that Steve Rosenberry, a former Portland TrailBlazers scout and even longer time Sampson friend, is prominently involved. Sampson’s links to Rosenberry go back more than 50 years.

“He and I played college basketball against each other,” Sampson tells PaperCity. “I was at UNC Pembroke, Steve was at Guilford, (Tennessee coach) Rick Barnes was at Lenoir-Rhyne. We all three played against each other.”

That trust means as much to Sampson as RedBird IMI, the powerful private equity firm run by former NBC president and CEO Jeff Zucker, backing the tournament. As nice as the NIL money may be, for the Houston players it’s more about the opportunity to play other big time teams in a showcase setting in Las Vegas.

“I’m ready for it,” UH forward JoJo Tugler tells PaperCity. “I love it. I love the experience. I ain’t ever been to Vegas. I’m going to love every morning out there.”

Yes, Tugler is looking forward to mornings in a city where many stumble back to their hotel near day break after staying out all night. Tugler knows he’ll be up early. After all, this is a work trip for this proud University of Houston basketball program. And that’s a different kind of jackpot.