College Football Teams Push Roster Spending Past $50 Million as NIL and Revenue Sharing Surge
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · Aug 27
College Football Teams Push Roster Spending Past $50 Million as NIL and Revenue Sharing Surge
3 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Aug 27
Summary
Top college football programs are now spending $40 million to $50 million-plus on player compensation for 2026, with coaches saying teams below roughly $20 million will struggle to compete.
That escalation is being driven by schools maxing out revenue sharing near the House settlement cap—more than $21 million across all sports—while outside NIL deals keep pushing football payrolls above it.
Sports Illustrated’s survey of more than 40 industry figures found median roster spending at $25 million to $33 million in the SEC, $22 million to $28 million in the Big Ten, $18 million to $25 million in the Big 12 and $17 million to $24 million in the ACC.
Ohio State and Oregon were cited as possible $50 million-plus rosters in the Big Ten, while LSU, Texas and Texas A&M were repeatedly identified above $40 million in the SEC; Miami and Texas Tech were seen as the priciest teams in the ACC and Big 12.
Across the FBS, a conservative 75% football share of revenue sharing implies more than $1 billion in direct school payments alone, with the total likely topping double that once NIL money is included.