Wichita & Shocker Nation:
On behalf of 270+ student-athletes and 100+ coaches/staff within Shocker Athletics, thank you for your support of our young people and programs. We cannot overstate our gratitude and appreciation as your provision and protection make our department-wide growth possible. Narrowing our focus, this letter is intended to provide you with detailed information regarding the status and growth of our men's basketball program.
Wichita desires, expects and deserves a nationally competitive (Top 25) Men's Basketball program that improves the city's economy, attracts visitors and contributes to a thriving community. The current era of college athletics brings unprecedented challenges, and our growth is directly tied to raising additional funds to compete in this new "NIL/Revenue Share" environment.
Since January of 2023, privately funded NIL/Revenue Share resources to support men's basketball have grown 518% and Wichita State has developed a reputation of character and integrity in the NIL/Revenue Share environment.
Based upon accessible trustworthy data, our current secured resources to support the 2025-26 season position Shocker Men's Basketball in a highly competitive place within our league. However, the standard for Wichita State Men's Basketball is much higher. Analyzing NIL/Revenue Share data for the programs participating in the 2025 NCAA Sweet 16, it is reasonable to conclude that while we've witnessed substantial short-term growth in our resources,
our current 2025-26 NIL/Revenue Share allocation needs an additional $1 million dollars to elevate overall roster talent/depth and compete at the national level of excellence we've all come to expect.
We are laser-focused on positioning our program for success in 2025-26 and beyond. We desire to exemplify an extraordinary level of transparency as it relates to the current and future states of our program, so that you may draw confidence in both our
direction and desired
destination.
Regarding
direction, our program has completed two full seasons under the leadership of Coach Mills. We do
not evaluate the following results as reaching the intended destination, rather, we assess these results only as an indication of the direction we are heading:
- Paul Mills currently ranks 3rd all-time in total wins for a Shocker head coach through his first two seasons, behind Eddie Fogler's 42 wins (1986-88) and Gary Thompson's 41 wins (1964-66).
- Coach Mills' first two seasons represent the best first two seasons our program has experienced in 37 years, all in a more competitive American Athletic Conference and more challenging Transfer Portal/NIL/Revenue Share environment.
- The 2024-25 non-conference win total (10) is our highest in five (5) years and we returned to the post-season for the first time in four (4) years.
- Coach Mills and staff have developed and recruited All-AAC talent, while returning the Shockers to their roots of being the best rebounding team in the conference in 2024-25.
Concerning the
destination, the standard set throughout our program's 118-year history (1906-2025) defines success:
18 regular season and/or post-season conference tournament championships; 16 NCAA appearances including 8 rounds of 32, 6 Sweet 16's, 4 Elite Eights and 2 Final Fours. We share your desire for excellence, and we are committed to advancing a winning cause that is much bigger than ourselves. All of us expect league championships, NCAA Tournaments, Sweet 16's (and beyond), and our charge is to align resources to meet those expectations. Additionally, we maintain a distinct advantage over our peers given we are not raising NIL/Revenue Share resources to support a football program.
Wichita is a city and community of excellence! We are a commercial, financial, medical, cultural and entertainment hub for Kansas. Beyond distinction as the largest growing city in the state of Kansas, Wichita boasts an exceptional combination of a thriving and diverse economy with strengths in manufacturing, agriculture, engineering, healthcare, aerospace, energy, retail and education. Most important, Wichita's greatest strength is in the people of our community who through innovation and ingenuity spark a flourishing job market, vibrant culture and strong family-friendly environment.
Having the distinct pleasure to engage with countless Wichitans, we understand and share your desire for a premier basketball program. Please join us in providing the necessary resources to align our program with
national excellence as
#WeFightForWichita.
In partnership,
Kevin Saal
Wichita State University – Director of Athletics
