Which CFB program spent the most NIL funds on 2026 transfer portal?
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The name, image, and likeness era continues to create plenty of controversy, and ahead of the 2026 college football season, several prominent coaches have been vocal about their support of a more clean-cut system, while revenue sharing through media rights and ticket sales has created a top-heavy dynamic, but has slowly balanced out.
Until either the federal government or each Power Four commissioner makes a change, this structure will remain intact, and among the blue-blood programs that were always deemed to benefit from the historic House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit settlement, Texas A&M is among the upper echelon, providing third-year coach Mike Elko the funds to compete for a spot in the college football playoff on a yearly basis.
In the transfer portal, third-year coach Mike Elko landed 17 players, including former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, edge rusher Anto Saka (Northwestern), and four starting offensive linemen from the SEC, which likely cost the Aggies more than half of their predicted transfer portal spending this offseason.
Compared to the rest of the college football landscape, the SEC and Big Ten have dominated the NIL transfer market, which SportsCasting Bets estimated earlier this year, placing Texas A&M at No. 4 nationally in transfer spending on the 2026 class, while the Texas Longhorns made the top spot, spending a reported $23.0 M. Among the top 20 programs ranked, 11 teams are from the SEC and 5 from the Big Ten.
Texas Tech, which has dominated the sports news cycle after transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby was granted an injunction against the NCAA and is eligible to play in 2026 despite violating its sports gambling rules, came in at No. 15, which shows just how far the Red Raiders have come, but will continue to face major hurdles this fall.
2026 College Football Transfer Portal Budgets
| Rank | Program | Estimated NIL Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $23.0M |
| 2 | Ohio State | $20.0M |
| 3 | Oregon | $19.0M |
| 4 | Texas A&M | $18.5M |
| 5 | Georgia | $17.5M |
| 6 | Miami | $16.5M |
| 7 | Alabama | $15.5M |
| 8 | LSU | $15.0M |
| 9 | Tennessee | $14.0M |
| 10 | Michigan | $13.5M |
| 11 | Florida | $13.0M |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $12.5M |
| 13 | Penn State | $12.0M |
| 14 | Auburn | $11.5M |
| 15 | Texas Tech | $11.0M |
| 16 | Florida State | $10.5M |
| 17 | Ole Miss | $10.0M |
| 18 | Nebraska | $9.5M |
| 19 | USC | $9.0M |
| 20 | Kentucky | $8.5M |
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M spent fourth most NIL money on 2026 transfer portal
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