Johni Broome didn't just play basketball at Auburn; he basically owned the paint and the local marketing scene for a solid three years. When you look at the Johni Broome NIL deal worth, you aren't just looking at one check. You’re looking at a snowball effect that started in the Ohio Valley Conference and ended with him being the Sporting News National Player of the Year in 2025.
Honestly, the numbers thrown around for high-level SEC centers can be dizzying. For a guy like Broome, who passed up the NBA in 2024 to return for a final "victory lap" on the Plains, the financial incentive had to make sense. You've got to realize that being a second-round pick or a "two-way" contract guy in the NBA often pays less than being the king of Auburn, Alabama.
The Reality of the Johni Broome NIL Deal Worth
Let's get into the weeds. While exact contracts are often guarded like state secrets by collectives, the valuation for a player of Broome's caliber during his final 2024-25 season was widely estimated in the $600,000 to $800,000 range. By the time he hit the 2025 Final Four, national brands were jumping on the bandwagon, likely pushing his total haul toward the seven-figure mark.
It wasn't just "booster money" from the On To Victory collective. Broome was a business. He had a legitimate portfolio.
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- C4 Energy: This was a massive win. He joined the "C4 Bracket Breakers Squad" alongside NFL stars like C.J. Stroud. This wasn't just a free case of drinks; it was a national TV and digital campaign.
- Raising Cane’s: If you saw him posting about chicken fingers during the 2025 tournament, that was a strategic partnership. Cane's loves the SEC market, and Broome was their face in Alabama.
- GoPuff & Thayers: Smaller, tactical deals that targeted the student demographic.
Bruce Pearl has been pretty open about this. He basically said the family had to weigh a second-round NBA salary against what Auburn’s NIL ecosystem could provide. In 2024, the "stay" option won.
Why Broome's Value Skyrocketed in 2025
Success on the court is the best marketing. Period. Broome wasn't just a big body; he became a unicorn. He shot over 35% from deep in his final years and was a triple-threat on defense. When Auburn held that No. 1 national ranking for eight weeks straight in 2025, every time the cameras panned to Broome, his "rate" went up.
Most people get this wrong—they think NIL is just a salary. It's actually a mix of market value (what a brand will pay for your face) and collectors' value (what fans will pay to keep you on the team). Broome maxed out both.
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The NBA Transition
Eventually, the NIL era had to end for him. In the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers took him at pick No. 35. This is where the math gets interesting. Broome signed a 4-year deal worth roughly $8.6 million. His base salary for the 2025-26 season is approximately **$1,272,870**.
So, did he make more in college? Not quite. But the gap between a $700k-plus NIL package and a $1.2 million NBA rookie salary is smaller than you’d think when you factor in the lower cost of living in Auburn compared to Philly. He used NIL to bridge the gap until he could secure a multi-million dollar guarantee.
Misconceptions About the "Worth"
You'll see sites like On3 or 247Sports list "NIL Valuations." It’s important to remember these are projections, not bank balances. Broome’s "worth" was a moving target. In 2023, he was a star. By 2025, he was a brand.
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He also benefited from the "House" settlement talks and the shift toward schools potentially paying players directly. While he missed the full implementation of direct school payments, he was the poster child for why those rules changed. He was too valuable for the old system to contain.
What Athletes Can Learn from the Broome Model
If you're looking for the blueprint, this is it. Broome didn't jump into the portal every year to chase the highest bidder. He stayed at Auburn, built a legacy, and let the local market mature around him.
- Consistency pays: Brands prefer long-term faces over one-year rentals.
- Performance is the engine: You can't tweet your way to a million dollars if you aren't averaging a double-double.
- Leverage the "Stay": Using the NBA draft process to gauge your value and then returning to school is a power move.
Johni Broome left Auburn as the first player in program history to be a consensus National Player of the Year. He also left with a bank account that most 22-year-olds can only dream of. He didn't just play the game; he played the system, and he won.
Actionable Insights for Following NIL Trends:
- Monitor the On To Victory collective's activity, as they set the market rate for SEC talent.
- Watch for "National" vs. "Local" deal splits; a player with more than two national brands (like C4 or Cane's) is usually in the top 1% of earners.
- Compare rookie scale NBA contracts (especially second-rounders) to collegiate valuations to see if "running it back" is a viable financial strategy for your favorite players.