When asked whether the financial pressures of the shifting collegiate athletics environment contributed to his decision to enter into the partnership, Del Conte said, “Not really.” Texas and other institutions at the top level of college athletics will begin sharing their revenue with student-athletes in this fiscal year, with the distributed amount expected to come in at roughly $20.5 million.
“I want to be clear,” Del Conte said. “Everyone’s talking about that they’re using this to generate money. My ecosystem, I am fine. We did not need this deal, to be clear. I did not need this deal to make the new era of college athletics work.”
Del Conte was asked whether he was willing to reveal the financial terms of the agreement and said he was not, adding that they would come out “in due time.”
Responding to a question about what made him change his mind on the issue, Del Conte explained that Humann’s story influenced his altered course. Because the company makes products that benefit cardiovascular health, Del Conte said Texas “owes the world” to help make Humann more visible.
“What starts here changes the world. That’s our obligation,” Del Conte said. “When we play a game in DKR, there’ll be millions of people watching the game. Someone’s going to say, ‘What is Humann?’ And I hope that one person clicks and goes, ‘Wait a minute: I need that. My uncle needs that. My aunt needs that.’
“That there lies the difference. It’s not putting a logo of some company out there. It’s really about something that can really transform lives.”