Harding Football evidently out of money

[ReddieMade]

Just got forwarded a FB post that coach Simmons shared this morning basically begging the Searcy community and Bison fans for money. He’s very candid and says since July 1, 2025 they’ve exhausted their entire 2025-26 football budget and every dime spent from here on will have to be fundraised, including all postseason and recruiting expenses into next year.

Harding folks in the know, I’m genuinely curious to hear from you guys — is this true? If so, how is that even possible?

From an outsider’s perspective you guys seem… pretty well set, to be honest. Beautiful campus, incredible football facilities, new things being built around the stadium, etc. I know y’all have a collective too, which is something I feel relatively confident most D2 programs don’t have. I think I speak for everyone when I say it just seems like Harding University has money from the outside looking in. Are they just not investing it into football?

I’m baffled by this. What he wrote is incredibly damning of the school and the support that program gets if it’s true. Football is legitimately what Harding is most known for now. Seems bonkers that they would be out of money already.

Not a good look for the coach of the #2 team in the country to have to go on FB to fundraise to travel and eat because he's out of budget money in October.

[FoothillBison]

He does this every year about this time. The sky is not falling Reddie. One of the biggest jobs of a D2 Coach is to raise money for the program. Apparently, Simmons has had a lot of success doing this on Facebook.

[ReddieMade]

He does this every year about this time. The sky is not falling Reddie. One of the biggest jobs of a D2 Coach is to raise money for the program. Apparently, Simmons has had a lot of success doing this on Facebook.

The sky is not falling... but your coach just posted "I have bad news" and then explains you've exhausted your budget for the year and have to fundraise every expense until June 30, 2026?

That sounds bad to me, but that's why I asked. So is it not really true?? You're making it sound like it's not.

[Divisiontwo]

The sky is not falling... but your coach just posted "I have bad news" and then explains you've exhausted your budget for the year and have to fundraise every expense until June 30, 2026?

That sounds bad to me, but that's why I asked. So is it not really true?? You're making it sound like it's not.

Both things are true. The budget is likely spent, and it will also likely get raised from outside sources. It's a yearly deal.

I don't think the football program has the money from the school that it appears from looking at the team as a whole. Majority of the nice things you see from and surrounding the program are fundraised. Like the entire Indoor facility and all the stadium renovations etc. None of that is from University helping.

It's not the end of the world for HU Football, as it's pretty customary for them at this point, BUT we both agree that the fact that the head coach has to go about closing the gap the way that he does because the University itself leaves the program short handed is a bad deal. Without football, that place would not be in a good spot IMO.

[ReddieMade]

Both things are true. The budget is likely spent, and it will also likely get raised from outside sources. It's a yearly deal.

I don't think the football program has the money from the school that it appears from looking at the team as a whole. Majority of the nice things you see from and surrounding the program are fundraised. Like the entire Indoor facility and all the stadium renovations etc. None of that is from University helping.

None of that came from the university? I knew the indoor was all fundraised, but the end zone complex, the moving the stands closer to the field, etc. That's wild. Always just assumed as the football program got better, they were getting more support.

That's really interesting to hear.

[BisonBones]

A couple thoughts. Simmons did something very similar last year during the playoffs, specifically for the two games up in Michigan.

There’s off and on discussion on the main board about funding for small college football, especially in comparison to FBS/Power 4 programs. People that seem to know have said Harding does not pay for athletics with student fees or tuition like some other schools do. I’ll admit ignorance on this point, though.


I’ve gleaned that Harding has done better than many similar schools when it comes to funding and the problems of enrollment cliff, but again I have no inside info.

I mostly think this is a sign of Harding’s attitude towards athletics, that I generally agree with: Athletics is a cost, an investment, by the school and its donor base, for the benefit of Harding as an institution and its students, especially its athletes.

As FoothillBison said, the sky is not falling, but I will be rooting against Central Washington and Colorado Mesa so we get the number 1 seed and all the home games.

[BisonBones]

None of that came from the university? I knew the indoor was all fundraised, but the end zone complex, the moving the stands closer to the field, etc. That's wild. Always just assumed as the football program got better, they were getting more support.

That's really interesting to hear.

The Advancement office certainly helped with raising those funds, but I don’t think anything came out of general budget.

[Divisiontwo]

None of that came from the university? I knew the indoor was all fundraised, but the end zone complex, the moving the stands closer to the field, etc. That's wild. Always just assumed as the football program got better, they were getting more support.

That's really interesting to hear.

I don't know for sure on the End zone deal. Because that actually isnt used for football other than the concessions/bathroom. The weight room in there is used for othe sports and it also houses some classrooms in there for graduate Strength and conditioning program. Football weight room, though very nice is in the main athletic building just west of the stadium. Also fundraised.

The other stadium renovations were fundraised to my knowledge.

[ReddieMade]

It's not the end of the world for HU Football, as it's pretty customary for them at this point, BUT we both agree that the fact that the head coach has to go about closing the gap the way that he does because the University itself leaves the program short handed is a bad deal. Without football, that place would not be in a good spot IMO.

That was my biggest takeaway from what he shared. Big time indictment of the school if a coach who has won a national title is having to fundraise to travel and eat and recruit from October through June.

[ReddieMade]

A couple thoughts. Simmons did something very similar last year during the playoffs, specifically for the two games up in Michigan.

There’s off and on discussion on the main board about funding for small college football, especially in comparison to FBS/Power 4 programs. People that seem to know have said Harding does not pay for athletics with student fees or tuition like some other schools do. I’ll admit ignorance on this point, though.


I’ve gleaned that Harding has done better than many similar schools when it comes to funding and the problems of enrollment cliff, but again I have inside info.

I mostly think this is a sign of Harding’s attitude towards athletics, that I generally agree with: Athletics is a cost, an investment, by the school and its donor base, for the benefit of Harding as an institution and its students, especially its athletes.

As FoothillBison said, the sky is not falling, but I will be rooting against Central Washington and Colorado Mesa so we get the number 1 seed and all the home games.

I remember seeing something he shared last season about how they didn't have postseason money to travel. Most D2 schools I'm aware of have separate postseason budgets... I'm blown away Harding doesn't have that, considering they go to the postseason in basically every sport, not just football.

[FoothillBison]

I think it is important to also note that the school budgets X number of students/staff traveling. As the program has grown, so has the staffers and roster size. Simmons has said multiple times over social media the past few years that the reason he goes over budget is because he tries to travel as many staffers, players, and coaches' wives as possible. Playoffs last year was a great example - the NCAA actually pays for transportation and meals for traveling teams. However, all the extras are not included. So, the solution is ask for more money, budget greater, or leave people behind. There is no great answer. This is just the path the coach has chosen.

[FoothillBison]

Maybe HU can borrow Henderson State's Postseason budget since they don't use it very often or very long????

[BisonBones]

I remember seeing something he shared last season about how they didn't have postseason money to travel. Most D2 schools I'm aware of have separate postseason budgets... I'm blown away Harding doesn't have that, considering they go to the postseason in basically every sport, not just football.

I have no idea if Harding does or does not have a post season budget. As FoothillBison said, last year most of the raised funds went to traveling as many ppl, including players, as possible.

[ReddieMade]

Maybe HU can borrow Henderson State's Postseason budget since they don't use it very often or very long????

Haha for many years everyone was saying HSU was the one who was broke. Guess not!

Why so defensive? Your head football coach put all this information out to the public, I'm just asking questions about it. He painted a pretty bleak picture if you aren't intimately familiar with what's happening over there.

He also indirectly threw the school and admin under the bus in a public forum when he did that (apparently for good reason, it sounds like). I'm sure the Harding president and AD are thrilled.

[ReddieMade]

I have no idea if Harding does or does not have a post season budget. As FoothillBison said, last year most of the raised funds went to traveling as many ppl, including players, as possible.

I just assumed they'd almost have to with as many teams at Harding that have been to the postseason in recent years, but what do I know.