Top 10 NIL budgets in college football this season
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College footballhas always been about the money, but it has never been so clear as it is in the NIL era. The schools that spend the most get the best players and put the best teams on the field. The Athletic did the math and came up with a list that ranks the teams from the Power 4 conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Notre Dame) by NIL budgets. That numbers are staggering.
Ohio State, with an NIL budget estimated between $49 million and $54 million boasts the highest payroll in college football. They’re ranked No. 6 in the polls after a loss to the Texas Longhorns over the weekend. Texas, the No. 1 team in the country, has an NIL budget estimated between $45 million and $55 million, which is third on the list.
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Oregon has the second-highest estimate NIL budget, but the Ducks are ranked No. 21 this week after a loss to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are near the bottom of the list with a budget under $20 million. It’s a reminder that this is why you play the game, but it is worth noting that Oklahoma State spent at least $15 million on a college football roster this season. Yeah, it’s a lot less money but it’s still so much money.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State’s quarterback, signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal to leave North Texas and become the starting quarterback in Stillwater. He threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 109 yards and scored another touchdown on the ground against Oregon. That’s what we call a smart allocation of resources.
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Top 10 CFB NIL budgets: 2026 season
| School | NIL Budget | AP Top 25 ranking | Conference |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | $49-$54 million | No. 6 | Big Ten |
| Oregon Ducks | $48-$54 million | No. 21 | Big Ten |
| Texas Longhorns | $45-$55 million | No. 1 | SEC |
| LSU Tigers | $47-$50 million | No. 7 | SEC |
| Texas A&M Aggies | $45-$50 million | No. 9 | SEC |
| Miami Hurricanes | $44-$50 million | No. 5 | ACC |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | $41-$48 million | No. 3 | Independent |
| Ole Miss Rebels | $39-$45 million | No. 8 | SEC |
| Tennessee Volunteers | $41-$43 million | No. 15 | SEC |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | $38-$42 million | No. 10 | SEC |
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SEC schools ranked by NIL budget
In case you weren’t aware, the SEC really takes its football seriously. Six of the top 10 spenders in the sport reside in the conference. While there is a big gap between Texas and the lowest-spending team in the conference, Arkansas, the Razorbacks still have a pretty big payroll.
| School | NIL budget | NIL budget rank | AP Top 25 ranking | 2025 conf. record |
| Texas Longhorns | $45-$55 million | 3 | No. 1 | 6-2 |
| LSU Tigers | $47-$50 million | 4 | No. 7 | 3-5 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | $45-$50 million | 5 | No. 9 | 7-1 |
| Ole Miss Rebels | $39-$45 million | 8 | No. 8 | 7-1 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | $41-$43 million | 9 | No. 15 | 4-4 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | $38-$42 million | 10 | No. 10 | 7-1 |
| Florida Gators | $31-$41 million | 15 | Unranked | 2-6 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | $32-$35 million | 16 | Unranked | 1-7 |
| Auburn Tigers | $31-$35 million | 17 | Unranked | 1-7 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | $31-$34 million | 19 | No. 2 | 7-1 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | $28-$34 million | 20 | No. 24 | 6-2 |
| Missouri Tigers | $27-$30 million | 24 | No. 20 | 4-4 |
| Mississippi State Bulldogs | $25-$30 million | 26 | Unranked | 1-7 |
| Vanderbilt Commodores | $25-$28 million | 29 | Unranked | 6-2 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | $23-$26 million | 31 | Unranked | 2-6 |
| Arkansas Razorbacks | $22-$25 million | 33 | Unranked | 0-8 |
Those are some wild numbers, all things considered. That’s at least $530 million being spent on college football rosters in the SEC alone this season. That’s an average of $33.125 million per school. If you ever wondered why a player would seek an extra year of eligibility, that should answer your question.
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