Penn State wrestling star responds to NIL earnings speculation

While Penn State wrestling is going for its fourth consecutive National Championship on the mats, Name, Image, and Likeness continues to have a lasting impact on the sport this offseason. Recently, the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program has made massive ripples in the sport, picking up multiple wrestlers from big-name programs that were not believed to be in the transfer portal. However, Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling are also highly invested in the new era of college athletics, and a new report regarding how much 4-time NCAA Champion Carter Starocci is earning in his final season with the Nittany Lions only added fuel to the fire.

How much is Carter Starocci making from NIL?

In a recent post on X, Pursuit Wrestling claimed that Carter Starocci will be paid $1.3 million to wrestle a fifth and final season for Penn State in 2024-25. The number would be alarming, considering the speculative figures for other top wrestlers are typically closer to the $500,000 mark.

CARTER STAROCCI GETTING PAID $1.3 MILLION TO WRESTLE HIS 5TH-YEAR AT PENN STATE IN 2024-2025 😳@carterstarocci @pennstateWREST https://t.co/Kpe3p8v24o
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🗣️: @BrakAttack11
🎥: @SamShalvey #Wrestling #WhatsYourPursuit pic.twitter.com/VBuL81wYXC

— Pursuit Wrestling – Ohio (@PursuitWrestlin) August 29, 2024

That said, Carter Starocci could become the most accomplished wrestler in NCAA history when his days in Happy Valley are finished.

A four-time individual National Champion, two of the losses in Starocci’s 93-4 record came as injury defaults during last season’s Big Ten Championships. He will be the first athlete in college wrestling history to compete for five national titles after being awarded the extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If anything, Starocci’s NIL earnings, whatever they may be, could likely be viewed as the ceiling for contemporary college wrestlers. The Nittany Lion is the most decorated wrestler on the sport’s best team. Given his situation with the pandemic, there won’t ever be another wrestler who will have an opportunity to go for five National Championships.

Further, if the rumored amount is close to the ballpark for Starocci’s actual earnings, it shows that the Penn State wrestling boosters and NIL fund are doing just fine with the new era of college athletics.

Penn State wrestling star responds to NIL earnings rumors

It didn’t take long for Carter Starocci to offer his opinion on the rumors, even adding some more vague information as to what the dollar amount could be.

“Don’t speak about my pockets,” Starocci wrote. “Y’all don’t know the half of it.”

Don’t speak about my pockets . Yall don’t know the half of it 😉 💰 https://t.co/E9M0WyCGvr

— Carter Starocci (@carterstarocci) August 29, 2024

It seems like Carter Starocci is trying to infer that the dollar amount should be double that of the original post, which would put his NIL earnings around $2.6 million this year.

The remarks fall in line with previous comments from Starocci, where he claimed to be the highest-paid college wrestler. Of course, the Penn State wrestling star has not confirmed an actual dollar amount to date.

Whatever the amount, it is clear that Carter Starocci should be a heavy favorite to go undefeated on his way to a fifth national title and to take home the Dan Hodge Trophy for the best wrestler in the sport. And for the value he adds to the back of the Penn State wrestling lineup, perhaps no price is too hefty.

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