Kenny Dillingham isn’t mincing words. Coming off a breakthrough season that saw Arizona State rise from Big 12 afterthought to conference champion and College Football Playoff contender, the 35-year-old head coach made a bold, unfiltered plea to the city of Phoenix: We need help-and we need it now.
During recent comments, Dillingham laid out the stakes in plain language. For ASU to keep pace with the financial arms race gripping college football, he says the program needs one thing: a $20 million donor willing to go all-in.
Just one. That’s the number he put out there-and he didn’t dance around it.
“We need to find one of these really rich people in this city to step up and stroke a check,” Dillingham said. “And I’ll do everything I can to make you the most famous person in the city, right?
That’s what we need. We need one person.”
It’s a message that cuts through the noise and gets right to the heart of the new college football reality. In the age of NIL and direct athlete compensation, success on the field is increasingly tethered to what happens off it-especially in the donor and collective space. And for programs like Arizona State, which aren’t operating with SEC or Big Ten money, the gap is real, and it’s growing.
A Breakthrough Season, But At What Cost?
Let’s not forget what Dillingham and the Sun Devils just pulled off. In 2024, ASU didn’t just exceed expectations-they shattered them. Picked by many to finish near the bottom of the Big 12, they flipped the script entirely, capturing a conference title and punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history.
It was the kind of season that can redefine a program’s trajectory. But sustaining that kind of success? That’s a whole different game.
Dillingham knows it. And he’s not pretending otherwise.
The Sun Devils are staring down a financial chasm. While they’ve built momentum on the field, they’re still playing catch-up behind the scenes. Big 12 programs already operate at a financial disadvantage compared to the SEC and Big Ten, but even within the conference, ASU is feeling the squeeze.
Consider this: Iowa State led the Big 12 in NIL collective spending last year at around $7.5 million. But that number is already outdated.
Texas Tech reportedly assembled a $28 million football roster this season. Meanwhile, bluebloods like Ohio State are investing $20 million just into their football rosters.
That’s the kind of financial firepower ASU is up against. And Dillingham is making it crystal clear-without serious investment, it’s going to be tough to keep up.
“There is somebody out here who can,” Dillingham said. “There is somebody who can.
There is somebody… Somebody step up, step up and be that dude to say, ‘Holy cow, what completely changed it?’ This person.”
Staying Put-and Doubling Down
Dillingham’s impassioned appeal came on the heels of reports that he’s agreed to stay at Arizona State, despite interest from Michigan. A contract extension is reportedly in the works, pending approval from the Board of Regents. That’s a big win for ASU in itself-keeping a rising coach who just delivered the school’s best season in decades.
But Dillingham isn’t just staying to ride the wave. He’s trying to build something lasting, and he knows that takes more than game plans and recruiting pitches.
It takes backing. Real backing.
And in today’s college football landscape, that often means turning to the local business community and wealthy alumni to bridge the gap. Dillingham is making the ask-loud and clear.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t just about one coach asking for a handout. It’s about a program at a crossroads.
Arizona State has a rare opportunity to capitalize on momentum, to turn a historic season into a sustainable run of success. But they’re going to need help to do it.
Dillingham’s message isn’t subtle, but it’s honest. He’s challenging the Phoenix community to invest in something bigger than just football. He’s asking someone-anyone-to be the catalyst that changes the course of ASU athletics.
Because in today’s college football, talent wins games, but money builds dynasties.