NIL
This Is the Best Gig in the Country
What makes a good job in college football?
It’s a question that is more relevant than ever as the coaching carousel spins, potentially to record heights in 2025 with 10 FBS coaches already axed and plenty more firmly on the hot seat.
While not all things are guaranteed when it comes to winning in college football, the fewer obstacles there are on and off the field tend to make for a clearer path to success.
Here, we take a look at each of the Power 4 conferences and which jobs are better than others in a bit of a vacuum. Recruiting base, donor support, NIL, school leadership, staff salary pool, historic success and facilities were factored in. The result is the coaching job pyramid, from the best gig in each league down to the stepping-stone jobs that make up the base.
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First, we looked at the ACC and Big 12.
Next up is the Big Ten, which is not only the largest conference in the country but also a heavyweight at the top. There is maybe the best job in the country, a collection of elite level programs in one of the two top leagues, a collection of places that you can win at and a host of others that have to fight uphill for everything but are still good places to be in the current landscape.
How does the conference stack up? The Big Ten might be the easiest of the Power 4 conferences to segment out, but there are plenty of reasons why there’s not a ton of separation between what you can do with a non-elite gig nowadays—just ask Curt Cignetti.
This is the best job in the country as it’s pretty much recession proof. The Buckeyes have finished outside of the Top 10 just twice in 24 years. They play in a 100,000-plus-seat stadium that is always packed to the gills. There is a donor base that is one of the envies in college football that gives you everything possible on and off the field. The home state recruiting has trailed off slightly over the past few decades, but is still on the high end and gets supplemented by being one of the few programs that can regularly go anywhere in the country to easily land blue-chip talent. That all naturally comes with plenty of pressure on the head coach, but this is a place set up not just to win, but to compete for national championships every single season.
These are all spots where you have every resource available to win national titles and are well positioned to keep doing so in this current era. What a place like Oregon lacks in terms of natural resources or talent, it more than makes up for in terms of financial might with its mega-donors. It keeps knocking at the door of its first championship as a result. The fan bases the Wolverines and Nittany Lions lean on also provide everything a coach could want, have iconic stadiums and excellent access to talent for teams north of the Mason-Dixon Line. USC too often has gotten in its own way from a management and alignment standpoint but has everything you want beyond the cost of living your assistants may be concerned about.
All of these places are spots where you should be able to make the College Football Playoff on occasion. Some have excellent facilities and a rich history, others can land players at a higher rate than some of their conference peers. Just about every one benefits from quality leadership and a desire to do more than just go to a nice bowl game in Florida with regularity.
We’ve seen talk of increased investment in football the last few years out of all of these, but there remain hurdles to taking things to the next level consistently. The three original Big Ten members had their moments back when the division format presented far more opportunities to rack up wins but each have work to do when it comes to NIL and, aside from the Wildcats, facilities. UCLA is a job capable of being in a higher tier when you look at its location, but it remains behind on focus from the administration on doing what’s necessary on the football field.
There’s a reason why Cignetti signing a mega-extension this year with the Hoosiers is so eye-opening with a rash of blueblood jobs open (or set to come open): The deck is generally stacked against a school which has been the historically least successful power-conference program. It’s also a credit to his coaching acumen that he thinks he can keep this train in Bloomington, Ind., rolling given that Indiana is behind several peers on the facilities front and doesn’t have anywhere near the traditional recruiting base that a school like Maryland has in the DMV area. What does count for a lot right now, however, is an administration that recognizes what it’s going to take in terms of dollar figures to get out of the bottom rung for good—something that a few others haven’t quite figured out or put into practice.
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Dec. 23, 2025, 6:07 a.m. ET
Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham says he was never offered the Michigan job. Never got to that point.
This, of course, isn’t the story nor the takeaway from Dillingham’s dalliance with the Wolverines.
The irony of the state of Arizona’s highest-paid public employee begging for private donations to compete at the highest level of college football is where this bizarre story begins.
“We live in Phoenix, Arizona. You’re telling me there’s not one person who could stroke a $20 million check right now?” Dillingham said after agreeing to a new contract worth more than $37 million over the next five years.
That’s right, the guy whose future could never be more secure, sees the immediate horizon line for the Arizona State football program. And frankly, it’s financially unstable at best — and a house of cards at worst.
It’s Arizona State today, but could be Kansas State or Colorado or North Carolina State or Virginia Tech or Boise State — or any of the other 100-plus Bowl Subdivision teams not protected by the golden parachute of the Big Ten and SEC.
Coaches at those 34 schools in the two big conferences — many of those institutions born on third base from long-term association with the leagues before the financial boom of television media rights — aren’t publicly calling out dignitaries and alums associated with their schools.
They’re not standing during a media availability and pleading for the next Cody Campbell to please step up. Or else.
Dillingham made it very clear that college football is about those who wish to spend money, and those who don’t. This isn’t about revenue sharing between schools and players, this is all about private NIL funding.
This is about the dirty underbelly of the sport that can’t be legally controlled. A growing vice that doubles and triples the obstacles faced by conferences chasing the Big Ten and SEC.
It’s bad enough that mega media rights deals give the Big Ten and SEC a huge competitive advantage over the rest of college football. It’s downright sinister that those same schools have deep pocket boosters willing to spend tens of millions in private NIL deals to eliminate all doubt.
Sam Leavitt led Arizona State to the Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff in 2024, and returned to Tempe this season for another run. A foot injury ended his season early, and now he’s headed to the transfer portal looking for a new home.
Not because he doesn’t think he can win big with the Sun Devils — he already proved that. He’s in the portal, like so many other players, to strike when its hot and score a deal before moving onto the NFL.
What are the odds he signs with a Big Ten or SEC school? A program which has boosters that can pay him an outrageous salary through a private NIL deal.
Do you really blame Leavitt?
Do you really blame Campbell, Texas Tech’s billionaire booster, who built a championship-level team with a $25 million roster — and the Red Raiders responded by winning the Big 12 and earning a first round bye in the CFP?
They’re just following the rules, and until a different set of rules is in place, they’ll take advantage of it.
That’s why Dillingham sounded like a panhandler last weekend, begging — literally begging someone, anyone, in The Valley to jump on board and throw money at the program. He even specifically called out school alums Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm.
Hey, Kenny, while you’re at it, why not place a call to the sheiks in Saudi Arabia? See if their Public Investment Fund (PIF) is interested in sports washing with the second-most popular sport in America.
Because if you’re reaching out to Mickelson and Rahm, you’re reaching out to the Saudis — who own LIV Golf — by proxy. The only difference between the PIF and Utah’s new $500 million agreement with Otro Capital is one group of investors has a long line of human rights violations.
The other is a financial shark, whose only goal is to make money.
Any way they can.
“College football is absolutely chaotic right now,” Dillingham said. “You’ve got to be able to have a plan to be aggressive in this thing for three, four, five years down the road. If you don’t have that, you’re a ticking time bomb for failure.”
This nonsense isn’t going to end until players are considered employees, and players collectively bargain their best deal. Until FBS conferences go to market as one, and sell their games to make double or more than the current market value of $4 billion-plus annually.
That move will allow universities to restrict player movement through multi-year contracts, and find a fair and equitable postseason for all. One that doesn’t include charity for the Group of Five conferences, who have no business in a playoff unless invited based on merit (see: Boise State, 2024).
But that move also means players would go from earning about 20 percent of media rights revenue to likely 45-50 percent. NFL players currently make 48 percent of the media rights.
That’s why the Big Ten and SEC don’t want players collectively bargaining. It has nothing to do with the pollyanna idea sold by conference commissioners that players, “don’t want to be employees.”
If they’re going to earn 20 percent, who wants to deal with the headache of collectively bargaining? Move that number to 45-50 percent, and watch how many players say they’re all in.
Then maybe their coaches wouldn’t have to shamelessly beg for cash, mere hours after signing a new $37 million dollar contract. Or else.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
As Indiana prepares to host its first-ever College Football Playoff game as the No. 1 seed, the Hoosiers are quietly already planning for 2026.
Fernando Mendoza, a redshirt junior transfer who led the Hoosiers to a 13-0 regular season, won the 2025 Heisman Trophy after throwing 2,980 yards and a national-best 33 passing TDs and is widely seen as an early NFL first-round prospect.
Should Mendoza depart for the draft, Indiana would be tasked with replacing an elite, NFL-caliber starter, which explains why numerous quarterbacks expected to enter the transfer portal have been linked to the Hoosiers.
On a December 20 episode of “Hoosiers Football Tailgate,” host Coach Griff specifically named TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who announced he will enter the transfer portal and skip the Alamo Bowl, as a name Indiana should watch.
“I like this guy as a definite target for Indiana,” Griff said. “So, Josh Hoover, keep an eye on him as a potential target… The one I think they’ll really try to get is Hoover.”
Hoover was a three-star recruit out of Rockwall-Heath (Texas) and initially committed to Indiana in 2021 before flipping to TCU after the school extended an offer.
He then redshirted in 2022 and became the starter in 2023, producing breakout numbers in 2024 with 3,949 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 66.5% completion rate.
In 2025, Hoover threw for 3,472 yards and 29 TDs, with 13 INTs, and projects among the most productive returning QBs in 2026 on career totals of 9,629 passing yards, 80 total TDs, and a career passer rating of 147.8.
On3’s NIL valuations list also shows Hoover ranking among the most marketable college quarterbacks, with a valuation in the neighborhood of $2.1 million.
Hoover is an intriguing option for Indiana due to his proven production and Power Five experience, positioning him as a potential one-year, plug-and-play solution as Curt Cignetti prioritizes continuity.
There is also a “full-circle” aspect to his recruitment, as Hoover originally committed to Indiana before flipping to TCU in 2021.
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Two teams that have really embraced the NIL era are set to meet on New Year’s Day. Oregon‘s win over James Madison advanced them to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, where Texas Tech was waiting on the other side. Now, it’s Dan Lanning vs. Joey McGuire in the Orange Bowl with a lot of resources put into rosters.
Oregon has been at the forefront of NIL since its inception, especially under Lanning. Texas Tech could be considered the new kid on the block after major investment from a few donors. Even so, McGuire sees some similarities between the two when it comes to winning at whatever cost.
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“They’ve got a great booster in Phil Knight that really said, ‘We’re going to go win at the highest level and there’s no excuse when it comes to finance.’ You turn around and I think that we’re showing that we’re doing that. I think we’re really comparable,” McGuire said.
“We’ve got guys that have stepped up and done a great job. I kind of call them the ‘Big Five’ whenever you talk about Cody and John, Mike, Dusty, and Gary. Those guys have, along with everybody else in Red Raider Nation, but those guys have really led the charge. So, we’re kind of comparable on and off the field in this team. They’ve just done it for a little bit longer. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
As he said, McGuire is looking to put together a run similar to Oregon. All four years since hiring Lanning have been a resounding success, finishing with double-digit wins in all of them. This is the program’s second College Football Playoff appearance in the 12-team format, just missing out in 2023 due to a Pac-12 Championship loss.
Oregon won the Big Ten in its inaugural season inside the conference. Texas Tech can check that box already though, winning the Big 12 for the first time in school history. Advancing in the CFP would be a sweet bonus.
No matter the result on Jan. 1, Texas Tech is positioning itself to be successful moving forward. The 2026 recruiting class ranked 20th in the country but No. 1 in the Big 12 per the Rivals Industry Team Rankings. This is all before raiding the NCAA transfer portal, something McGuire and his staff did so well with last offseason.
In the weeks leading up to the opening of the NCAA transfer portal, hundreds of college football players have announced their decisions to leave the schools they played for in 2025 for new horizons next season.
Some cases involve players transferring up from Group of Five or FCS programs to broaden their exposure. Others feature players following their coaches from one school to another due to the coaching carousel. In occasional instances, players are searching for the highest bidder on the portal.
Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is a portal entry drawing the attention of high-bidding college football programs. He will enter the portal with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
On3 ranks Leavitt as the top available quarterback in the transfer portal. Chris Hummer of CBS Sports reported that schools are expected to offer Leavitt around $3 million.
“Sam Leavitt on the open market is going to command a significant amount of money,” Hummer said. “We’re talking $3 million plus most likely. Although, in all fairness, I think teams really do have questions about Sam Leavitt’s injury and what that means moving forward. It’s kind of like the Carson Beck situation a year ago.”
The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder began his college football career with Mel Tucker at Michigan State in 2023. He played in a maximum of four games that season to maintain his redshirt, throwing for 139 yards, two touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions.
Leavitt transferred to Arizona State in the 2024 offseason. The Sun Devils were 10-2 in the regular season and defeated Iowa State (45-19) en route to the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Leavitt passed for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions and rushed for another 443 yards and five touchdowns.
Postseason honors for Leavitt included Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-Big 12. His 2,885 passing yards are the most by a freshman quarterback in Arizona State history.
Leavitt’s season was cut short after the Sun Devils’ game against Houston due to a Lisfranc injury. He threw for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while he ran for 306 yards and five touchdowns in seven games.
Arizona State will not start Leavitt in its bowl game. The Sun Devils (8-4, 6-3) will play ACC champion Duke (8-5, 6-2) in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas (3 p.m. EST, CBS).
The NCAA transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2, 2026, the final day of bowl games across the FBS ranks. It will remain open for the following two weeks.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala (WIAT) – University of Alabama offensive lineman Parker Brailsford’s childhood experiences inspire him to help Tuscaloosa’s underserved youth.
Brailsford is an Arizona native, who has made a name for himself in the world of college football. But when he takes off the helmet and pads, his focus shifts to something else.
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“Being able to give back to kids that don’t have – that’s something that fulfills me,” Brailsford said. “It’s my purpose.”
Brailsford took 10 children and their families from the Boys and Girls Club Christmas shopping on Monday.
Each child received a $100 Target gift card. All together it was $1,000 of NIL money.
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“He just gave her a turkey for Thanksgiving, and now he’s taking her Christmas shopping,” Toniko Bryant said. “I’m very thankful because he doesn’t have to do that.”
Brailsford understands he doesn’t have to – but he wants to.
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“As a kid, we didn’t have a lot but we had enough,” Brailsford said.
During Brailsford’s infancy years he was adopted.
“I never was in the foster care system, but one of my friends was,” Brailsford said.
Brailsford’s formative years were a stark contrast to what he saw other children experience. His parents gave him support and stability, while other children moved from home to home.
At the same time, his mother took him to homeless shelters and food pantries to volunteer. There he saw how poverty affects anyone of all ages, races, and gender.
“Sometimes you get caught in the what you’re living in right now – you think there’s not a place for you,” Brailsford said.
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Brailsford found his place on the field, but his purpose is to help children find theirs.
“This is something God put on his heart,” John Nero said. “I appreciate every bit of it, not just for Oshae but for all the other kids.”
Brailsford relates to many of the children he serves. Whether it’s adoption, financial hardships, or empathizing with experiences his friend encountered years ago.
While Brailsford’s success in football gives him the financial resources and name recognition to coordinate outreach events, this is just the beginning even if his football career comes to an end.
“I’m working on my social work degree right now because I really want to be able to help kids, anyway I can,” Brailsford said.
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Indiana’s meteoric ascent to the top of college football has transformed the Hoosiers into a prime destination for transfer quarterbacks, and for a brief moment, that attention turned toward a familiar face.
Cincinnati signal-caller Brendan Sorsby, who spent his first two seasons at Indiana before moving on, formally entered the transfer portal on December 15 after a productive 2025 campaign with the Bearcats.
In 2025, Sorsby produced 2,800 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes, and five interceptions, plus 580 rushing yards and nine rushing scores.
Across his collegiate career, he has totaled 7,208 passing yards, 60 passing touchdowns, 1,305 rushing yards, and 22 rushing touchdowns, positioning him as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks currently available in the transfer portal.
He is also one of the market’s most valuable quarterback assets, with an estimated NIL valuation of approximately $2.4 million and reports indicating that suitors have discussed packages exceeding $4 million.
Recent reports have tied Sorsby to several Power-5 suitors, notably Texas Tech and, in initial rumor threads, a potential reunion with the Hoosiers.
However, “Hoosier Tailgate” host Shannon “Coach Griff” Griffith pushed back on the speculation during a December 20 episode, suggesting that Indiana would not view Sorsby as a realistic target.
“I do not think Sorsby is anybody that Indiana would have any interest in,” Griff said. “I don’t necessarily think Sorsby is better than, other than playing, Alberto (Mendoza). I just don’t think that’s something that I can see them getting back in. He’s kind of linked to Texas Tech.”
The Hoosiers finished the 2025 campaign undefeated, captured the Big Ten title, and entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed.
Their offense was driven by Fernando Mendoza (2,980 yards, 33 TDs, six INTs), who swept national awards (Davey O’Brien, Maxwell, and the Heisman) and is widely discussed as a top prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Head coach Curt Cignetti’s program has proven adept at integrating transfer quarterbacks, with both Fernando Mendoza (Cal) and Kurtis Rourke (Ohio) finding success after joining the Hoosiers.
For Sorsby, the portal still offers multiple paths, including a high-value college package or an NFL evaluation, but commentary from influential IU voices, such as Griff, has effectively taken a straightforward reunion scenario off the table.
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