The Colorado Buffaloes are about a week away from starting the 2026-27 season under 17th-year head coach Tad Boyle.

This season, Boyle and the Buffs will need better production from the entire roster, especially three newcomers and three returning sophomores, to improve in the Big 12. The newcomers are forwards David Gomez (Charlotte), Justin Neely (UNC Greensboro), and Noah Feddersen (North Dakota State). The sophomores expected to make a jump are guards Jalin Holland, Ian Inman and Josiah Sanders. Other crucial pieces include freshman Alex Dickeson, Goc Malual, along with returning fifth-year guard Barrington Hargress.

Before the new college basketball season, CBS Sports compiled a 100-source report in which Matt Norlander and Isaac Trotter examined the NIL landscape. They placed all 80 teams from the SEC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC into seven tiers, ranging from $20 million plus to $5-$7 million.

They reported that in order "to build the typical high-major college basketball roster," one would need to spend at least $13.5 million.

Where does Colorado basketball rank?

The Buffaloes landed in Tier 7 alongside other middle-of-the-pack high-major Four programs, including Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Wake Forest, and Washington.

Those schools were projected to spend anywhere from $5 to $7 million. 

"On Colorado, that low number won't surprise anyone," the article said. "The program has been cash-strapped in hoops from the get-go, landing just two high-major transfers in the NIL era of the portal dating back to the spring of 2021."

Colorado's strategy with extremely limited NIL

Tad Boyle is working with one of the lowest budgets at the high-major level, which is disappointing given the university funds the football program, but it leaves the men's basketball program behind to some extent, despite the team's greater success in recent years.

Boyle spoke on his program's struggles with NIL and roster retention at Colorado's Winter Sport Media Day a few weeks ago.

"I look at the guys that we lost; if we had retained them, we'd be talking about a possible preseason top-20 team in Boulder, Colorado," Boyle said. "Now, with new guys, you won't have that with transfers from North Dakota State and UNC-Greensboro; you won't get those preseason accolades. But you know what? That doesn't matter. What matters is who we have. We're going to go to battle with them, and I like this team."

Since the NIL and transfer portal era began, Boyle hasn't been quiet about the program's need to retain the talented freshmen he recruits; a prime example is Isaiah Johnson, who had a standout season in Boulder, but even with a reportedly competitive NIL offer, he left for Texas.