Outgoing Boise State OC Dirk Koetter claims Oregon tampered with Broncos players after Fiesta Bowl

College football in the NIL and transfer portal era has sometimes been described as the ‘Wild Wild West,’ and for good reason. Outgoing Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter can certainly attest to that.

In an interview with Mike Prater and John Mallory of KTIK Idaho Sports Talk on Monday, Koetter revealed that Oregon recently attempted to lure away one of the Broncos’ players. The Ducks reportedly offered a key Broncos defensive player $700,000.

“I know for a fact that just last week, after the Fiesta Bowl, one of the key starters on defense got a call from the Oregon Ducks offering him $700,000,” Koetter said.

The challenge for programs like Boise State is simply keeping up with the Joneses. Boise State doesn’t have nearly the overall NIL budget for players that some other schools do. In fact, Koetter, who is retiring this offseason, revealed exactly how much the Broncos have to work with.

“Let’s get some numbers out there. Our salary cap is $2 million,” Koetter said. “And that’s up from maybe something like $1.6 million last year, but it’s around $2 million. Every calendar year, that’s what it is right now, and trying to grow it. But the people we’re competing against, maybe not in our current conference, but where we’re going and who we’re expected to compete against, it’s as high as $20 million.”

That simply makes sustaining a high level program all the more difficult. It makes Boise State’s run to the College Football Playoff this year even more impressive. Still, it’s just the reality of college football these days. Pay or face a major uphill climb.

Koetter recently wrote in a Facebook post that some of Boise State’s top players are getting offered two to 10 times what Boise State can afford. He expanded on that on KTIK.

“I’m not privy to how exactly they divide it up, but when I said that part about guys are getting offered two to 10 times more, that same coach told me that every starter that started significant games for Boise State would be able to get at least $200,000 a man on the open market,” Koetter said.

Tough sledding indeed.