The original 12 College Football Playoff team rosters were worth more than most other teams in the nation. Media and technology company On3 estimates the 12-person roster collectively makes up about $150 million.
“What's happened over the last few years is that more and more money is flowing into these universities,” said Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
Tuberville, who is also a former college football coach, has legislation aimed at addressing what some say is an unfair playing field.
“The problem is, in 2021, the Supreme Court said, 'Okay, we look at this case and we agree with the players. The players need to be able to make money off their name, image and likeness.' That’s what I said,” Tuberville said. “It was all downhill from there. There were no rules imposed on it. It was just the wild, wild west.”
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is a former college football coach. (Anna Moneymaker/File)
Schools whose football players earn large amounts of NIL appear to be more successful on the field. Most teams that qualified for the College Football Playoff also had some of the most valuable rosters.
“There are classes in schools across the country that have the best infrastructure, the best systems, the best financing, the best corporate deals,” said Blueprint, an agency that oversees several organizations. Sports CEO Rob Sine said. National donor organizations. “They form a collective, they bring together really wealthy people and they help them create a budget and support the coaches of the sports they love the most.”
Schools that took advantage of forming collectives early on or already had extensive booster systems in place were able to stay ahead of the curve.
“Football is really the only sport that makes a lot of money in intercollegiate athletics,” said Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl. “The next big thing after basketball might be a little baseball.” “The vast majority of NIL money is and will continue to be spent on the sports that make the money. As a result, our Olympic sports are completely at risk. ”
blues pearl (Andy Lyons/Getty Images/File)
The stakes were even higher in the 2024 season with the first extended playoff season. A 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee ranks the top 25 teams. Twelve schools qualified for the playoffs, but not all were among the top 12 teams. The group awarded automatic berths to the five highest-ranking conference championship game winners among the nine major conferences. These included the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, and Power 4 Southeastern Conference. Group of 5 conferences were also included. These include the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference, and Sun Belt Conference.
Power Four conference schools traditionally have larger revenue budgets and television viewership than other college sports programs. Each team in the Power Four conferences qualified for the playoffs. Boise State Mountain West was the only team out of 62 schools in the Group of Five conferences to qualify. This team also has the most valuable roster in NIL dollars of any of the other 62 schools.
“Various programs have started up and gone out into the world and made a big impact,” Sine said. “Right now, college athletics is driven by money, and schools are looking for 'where can I get the best opportunity to grow?'”
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Several teams changed conferences for the 2024 season in order to get more money and increase competition. Southern Methodist University transferred to the ACC from American University, but lost to Clemson University in the conference championship game. Clemson has the most NIL funds of any ACC team. Despite being ranked 16th, the team won the ACC Championship Game and qualified for the playoffs. The Tigers ultimately lost to Texas in the first round of the playoffs. SMU also made the playoffs, but lost to Penn State in the first round.
“What's important is the opportunity. And we're also starting to see that there's a lot of talk that it could be a Super League or two. And there's a lot of jockeying going on, 'Hey, I want to go there.' 'We're starting to see that,''' Sine said.
Oklahoma State and Texas moved to the SEC. Texas lost to Georgia in the championship game, but will face Big 12 champion Arizona State in the second round of the playoffs. SEC teams had some of the most valuable rosters. Georgia was one of the teams with the most NIL money overall. Texas holds the most expensive roster and is estimated to have one of the best recruiting classes heading into the 2025-2026 season.
Arizona State celebrates after defeating Iowa State (Jerome Miron Image Image/File)
“We were late to the party and properly compensated our student-athletes. We're there now. We just have to find a way that works for everyone,” Pearl said. . “I think we need federal support so that states don't do their own thing, so we don't have a true NCAA champion.”
Oregon State won the Big Ten Championship Game and went undefeated on the season. The Ducks were originally part of the Pac-12, but were split by teams joining the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12. Oregon State will face another member of the Big Ten, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in the second round of the playoffs. Oregon State has a better record, but Ohio State leads the Big Ten in NIL money.
Arizona State is also a former member of the Pac-12. It switched to the Big 12 for the 2024-2025 season. The Sun Devils won the Big 12 Championship Game and earned an automatic bid to the playoffs. However, their roster wasn't the most expensive in the conference. Colorado players received the most prize money. Quarterback Shedur Sanders is also estimated to be the highest paid NIL athlete in the country. He is the son of Colorado State head coach and former NFL and MLB dual athlete Deion Sanders.
“From day one, we've had an elite group of athletes. They always rise to the top, they always make the most money, because they necessarily bring so much more star power than the rest of the team. or because they've spent a lot of time building a brand,'' Cine said.
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Blueprint Sports oversees the 5430 Alliance collective in Colorado. Although the team didn't qualify for the playoffs, they do have an excellent roster of players, including Sanders, who is projected to be a first-round draft pick. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter also earned millions in the NIL for playing nearly all of the team's snaps as a wide receiver on offense and a cornerback on defense.
“Some star-studded athletes have agencies working behind their backs to get them big deals. Some are up-and-coming athletes, and others are just happy to make anything happen.” NIL Perspective In other words,” Shinae said.
Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter scores a touchdown in the first half against Central Florida on September 28, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Ferrand M. Ebenhack)
The Collective has helped some playoff schools land big contracts. The 1870 Society of Ohio is partnering with the Giant Eagle supermarket chain. Nike co-founder Phil Knight founded the Division Street Collective in Oregon. Tennessee quarterback Niko Ramaleaba signed an $8 million contract with Spire Sports Collective before signing with the Volunteers.
“The red flags are that high school seniors participating in college athletics who have never played a down or a minute in a college sport and have no idea what they are doing are paying too much money.'' I think the money is being paid, 'I'm going to get it,''' Cine said.
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The Texas One Fund combines five independent NIL organizations and is believed to be the wealthiest in the nation. He gave quarterback Quinn Ewers a private jet and offered every offensive lineman a $50,000 annual scholarship.
“What we want to do is make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get whatever they can get. But when you take money, you have to sign a contract and then You have to commit to it.’ I signed a contract,” Tuberville said. “I know for a fact that when some universities bring in new students, they bring in Lamborghinis and Corvettes and park them in front of their office buildings. Things have completely changed. It's a lot of money. “This is a minor league sport, what the hell?'' Now. ”
