NIL
Between the Columns for Monday, June 23
It’s Monday morning, so it’s time for me to let you all know what’s been on my mind for the past week. We’ve got a couple more updates around the sport that I think are important to talk about. 1. Wisconsin is suing Miami. That’s an interesting thing to type. But more importantly, the University […]

It’s Monday morning, so it’s time for me to let you all know what’s been on my mind for the past week. We’ve got a couple more updates around the sport that I think are important to talk about.
1. Wisconsin is suing Miami.
That’s an interesting thing to type.
But more importantly, the University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective are suing the University of Miami for tampering. We’ve heard a lot of coaches complain about tampering the past few years as the transfer portal has gotten ever more active each season, but nobody has ever done anything about it.
But now the Badgers have decided rising sophomore defensive back Xavier Lucas is the guy to make this a big issue about.
For some context, Lucas was a four-star corner in the class of 2024, we had him rated as the No. 45 cornerback in the country coming out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
He played in all 12 Wisconsin games last year, making 18 tackles, a sack and an interception.
He transferred during the winter portal, but there were issues with his transfer because he claimed the Wisconsin staff refused to file the proper paperwork to enter his name in the portal.
I guess we know why now.
Wisconsin claimed a Miami staffer and “prominent alumnus” met with Lucas at a relative’s home in Florida and offered him money to transfer, which was shortly after Lucas had apparently signed a two-year contract with the Badgers’ NIL collective in December.
So the argument is Miami sent a staffer to offer money to knowingly break the contract.
Definitely tampering.
The question isn’t whether tampering has been happening. It has.
There have been reports from baseball coaches whose team’s are in the College World Series that their players are receiving texts and calls from other coaches while they’re still playing to get them to transfer. Same with softball, same with both men’s and women’s basketball. Football was happening through bowl prep. That’s one of the major reasons why there’s been talk about moving the portal windows after the postseason in each sport.
We all knew tampering was happening.
But, finally, we’re going to find out if it’s actually against the rules.
2. The timing is fascinating to me.
NIL
NIL Deals Are Officially Out Of Hand And It’s Only The Beginning
In the post-pandemic era, college sports, particularly college football, have undergone a dramatic transformation. Between the expanded College Football Playoff and the lax rules surrounding the transfer portal, the college football of the 2020s is unrecognizable when compared to the game of the 2010s. The other, and clearly most significant change, revolves around the payment […]

In the post-pandemic era, college sports, particularly college football, have undergone a dramatic transformation. Between the expanded College Football Playoff and the lax rules surrounding the transfer portal, the college football of the 2020s is unrecognizable when compared to the game of the 2010s.
The other, and clearly most significant change, revolves around the payment of players and NIL deals. Not only can players now receive money from endorsement deals, but they’re also eligible to be paid directly by universities through a newly established revenue-sharing model.
TWSN’s Andrew Little broke down the new system that was put in place by the House v. NCAA settlement: “Moving forward, schools can choose to opt into revenue sharing and allocate a portion of their athletic department funds to pay players directly. The cap will start at $20.5 million in 2025-26 and increase by at least 4% annually for the next decade. This does not eliminate NIL collectives from college sports, but it will drastically diminish their influence. Schools that opt into revenue sharing will primarily use that pool rather than collectives, although external NIL deals are still on the table that can help schools spend more money without exceeding the salary cap.”
The new revenue-sharing model, which went into effect at the beginning of the month, has already delivered some crazy deals for incoming recruits.
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NIL Deals Are Getting Out of Hand and This is Just The Beginning
In college football, recruiting never stops, and the effort to land the top recruits is a constant battle. The five stars commit to schools well before they are on campus.
Although the 2026 recruiting class has yet to take the field for their senior year of high school, just about everyone inside the ESPN 300 has made their choice. That includes Felix Ojo, an offensive tackle from Texas, who clocks in at No. 20 on ESPN’s rankings.
Ojo recently made his decision, landing on Texas Tech. The future Red Raider’s arrival in Lubbock will be accompanied by a rather large sum of money.
NEWS: Five-star OT Felix Ojo, No. 20 in the ESPN 300, has committed to Texas Tech.
His agent Derrick Shelby tells @ESPN that Ojo will join TTU on a fully guaranteed, 3-year, $5.1 million revenue share contract, believed to be one of the largest guaranteed deals in CFB history. pic.twitter.com/qpEeRnINNv
— Eli Lederman (@ByEliLederman) July 4, 2025
The details from endorsement deals in the past (pre-revenue sharing) haven’t been publicly available for the most part. While it’s entirely possible that deals for the biggest recruits rivaled or topped these numbers, seeing this deal is pretty shocking.
The multi-million-dollar nature of the deal is one thing. The fact that it is also fully guaranteed is another. Ojo is a highly-touted recruit, but it’s not as if he’s a top-10 guy who is among the best tackle recruits that we’ve seen in recent years.
If a five-star tackle is getting a fully guaranteed deal of this magnitude, it’s hard to imagine what the truly elite quarterback and receivers are going to be seeing in the coming years.
The deals for guys like Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith are already huge; the offers they would have received these days would have been astronomical.
As more blue-chip guys come through the college ranks, there are going to be some jaw-dropping deals. This seems like it’s going to be damaging for college athletes, but it’s a hell of a time to be an elite recruit in a major sport.
NIL
Texas Tech Used $5.1 Million Deal to Snatch Five
AUSTIN — The Texas Tech Red Raiders were not finalists for 2026 five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo … until suddenly they were. But that’s the reality of recruiting in the world of NIL. After the race for Ojo appeared to be between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes in the days leading up to […]


AUSTIN — The Texas Tech Red Raiders were not finalists for 2026 five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo … until suddenly they were. But that’s the reality of recruiting in the world of NIL.
After the race for Ojo appeared to be between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes in the days leading up to his announcement, Texas Tech swooped in and landed a commitment from the five-star Mansfield (TX) product in surprising fashion on Friday, sending off a July 4 celebration for fans in Lubbock.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for both Texas and Ohio State, but it’s also equally as hard to blame Ojo for his decision when considering the reported deal he plans to sign with Texas Tech.
Ojo will sign a three-year, $5.1 million fully-guaranteed contract with the Red Raiders, his agent Derrick Shelby told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. The deal is “believed” to be among the largest of its kind in college football history, per the report. Ojo is now Texas Tech’s highest-rated recruit in program history.
“Let’s change (college football),” Ojo wrote on X following the news.
On3’s Pete Nakos added to the report, sharing on X that Ojo’s deal includes an escalator in Year 3. Ojo would make $1.2 million in Year 1 and $1.6 million in Year 2 before having the opportunity to make $2.1 million in his third season.
Ojo choosing Texas Tech over current powerhouses like Texas and Ohio State is a major program-boosting move for head coach Joey McGuire and staff. The Red Raiders have already beaten out Texas in the transfer portal recruitment of former Stanford edge rusher David Bailey, who committed to Texas Tech in April after visiting Austin.
Already embracing the in-state rivalry, Ojo picked up the Longhorns hat during his announcement and started to put it on his head before putting it back on the table and revealing a Texas Tech cap instead.
Mansfield Lake Ridge 5-star offensive lineman Felix Ojo first puts on a Texas hat, and the crowd goes wild, then he pulls a surprise and says he is actually committing to Texas Tech.#txhsfb @SportsDayHS @dctf @MISDathletics @247sports @TexasTechFB @TexasFootball @Rivals pic.twitter.com/WwbhCpjS3S
— Greg Riddle (@DMNGregRiddle) July 4, 2025
The Red Raiders have been no stranger to flexing their NIL muscles recently.
Texas Tech star softball pitcher NiJaree Canady, who is also represented by Ojo’s agent Derrick Shelby, signed her second seven-figure deal with the university’s NIL collective, the Matador Club, in June after leading the Red Raiders to the College World Series Final against the Longhorns.
Texas ended up winning the softball title, but it is Texas Tech that’s now gotten the latest laugh on the recruiting trail.
NIL
South Carolina Baseball adds Presbyterian utility standout to loaded transfer class
South Carolina baseball’s head coach Paul Mainieri picked up a key commitment on the Fourth of July as utility standout Jake Randolph announced that his is joining the Gamecocks via the NCAA transfer portal. As a junior from Vero Beach, Florida, Randolph has spent the last three seasons at Presbyterian College. He had a breakout […]


South Carolina baseball’s head coach Paul Mainieri picked up a key commitment on the Fourth of July as utility standout Jake Randolph announced that his is joining the Gamecocks via the NCAA transfer portal.
As a junior from Vero Beach, Florida, Randolph has spent the last three seasons at Presbyterian College. He had a breakout season as one of the most consistent bats in the Big South. He is also a former All-State at Vero Beach High School, where he earned MVP honors in Perfect game tournament. He was also selected to Team USA when he was only 14 years old. Randolph will bring both experience and flexibility to the Gamecock roster.
Randolph became a full-time starter last season, slashing .329 with 57 hits, 32 runs, and 32 RBIs over 49 starts. He finished second on the Blue Hose in nearly every major category on the offense. Combined with his ability to hit, catch, and play multiple positions, his versatility makes him the perfect fit for a South Carolina squad looking to retool for a postseason run.
Randolph is the 13th commitment for the Gamecocks from the transfer portal, helping what is currently viewed as a top-five portal class in the country. The addition of Randolph boosts a South Carolina roster that is looking to create a more consistent offense and have veteran leadership as they head into the 2026 season. As Mainieri continues to build towards these goals for his team, and hopefully a return to Omaha, Randolph’s versatility and at-bat skills could prove to be crucial.
NIL
What’s up with Larry Johnson, Ohio State’s defensive line recruiting?
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here. Whether you are […]

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Whether you are judging by recruiting rankings, on-field success, the eye-test, or NFL Draft results, there is no denying that Ohio State is routinely one of the most talented teams in all of college football. Currently, the Buckeyes sit at No. 5 in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. As of publication, the Buckeyes have 21 recruits committed to the class, including two five-star prospects and 14 four-stars.
But, despite that success, the 2026 class continues a trend that we have witnessed in recent cycles; the Buckeyes seem to be struggling in recruiting top-tier defensive line talent.
The highest-ranked DL prospect in the class is Damari Simeon, who is an interesting case. The New Jersey nstive is currently the No. 201 player in the class and the No. 26 defensive lineman according to the 247Sports Composite Ranking. However, 247Sports itself does not have an individual rank for him, and has him as the No. 44 DL.
With all due respect to Rivals, ESPN, and all of the other recruiting services, I always look a little side-eyed when a player is ranked far better elsewhere than they are by 247, who I think we all agree is the benchmark of recruiting.
The next highest rated recruit is Khary Wilder, the No. 241 player in the country and No. 23 edge rusher. Although many analysts believe that the 6-foot-4, 260-pound prospect is more likely to end up on the inside, rather than on the end, where he plays in high school.
From there, the other defensive linemen in the class are Cameron Brickle, and Jamir Perez. Brickle is the No. 538 player in the country and No. 62 defensive lineman, while Perez is No. 679 and No. 74, respectively, and flipped his commitment from Florida yesterday.
That means that the average defensive line ranking so far in the 2026 class is 414.75. Now, I don’t mind a proven player developer like Larry Johnson taking some projects; we have seen him work magic with diamonds in the rough countless times during his decade-plus tenure at Ohio State. But, missing on top-end talent again and again has become a pattern for LJ in recent years, and as NIL and paying players potentially brings some level of parity to the sport, OSU simply cannot continually see the vast majority of high-value DL targets that it invests ungodly amounts of time and money on go somewhere else.
Now, it’s not like Johnson and the Buckeyes don’t still hit on big-time defensive linemen. Obviously in 2021, they landed J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer the nation’s No. 4 and 5 players. However, since then, Omari Abor (No. 63 in 2022), Kenyatta Jackson (No. 60 in 2022), Jason Moore (No. 66 in 2023), Eddrick Houston (No. 26 in 2024), and Zion Grady (No. 86 in 2025) are the only top-100 defensive linemen to sign with OSU; Abor is now playing for SMU, Moore has recorded one tackle as a Buckeye, and Grady is yet to officially start his collegiate career.
In fairness, Houston and Jackson played clean-up roles for last year’s championship team — the former a true freshman and the latter as a redshirt sophomore — and likely both will start this fall. However, combined, they have accumulated only 20 tackles in their careers (five for Houston and 15 for Jackson).
So that means that in the four recruiting cycles since LJ landed Jack and J.T., he has only signed five top-100 players, none of whom have yet to make a significant impact for the Buckeyes. If we expand that to top-200 prospects (according to the 247Sports Composite rankings), Ohio State has also signed Caden Curry (No. 123 in 2022), Hero Kanu (No. 129 in 2022, now playing for Texas), Joshua Mickens (No. 119 in 2023), Dominic Kirks (No. 163 in 2024), and Jarquez Carter (No. 198 in 2025).
So, that’s 10 top-200 defensive linemen in the past four years; two have transferred, and the eight who remain have compiled 49 tackles between them. Granted, because Sawyer, Tuimoloua, Ty Hamilton, and Tyleik Williams played for so long, there weren’t a ton of snaps or tackles to go around, so it is a bit unfair to judge them but their tackle totals alone. But the fact remains that Johnson’s ability to close has been less than stellar in the past four years.
As has been the case in recent cycles, in 2026, we have routinely seen top-tier defensive linemen have the Buckeyes in their group of finalists, only to opt to commit somewhere else: Luke Wafle (No. 55) went with USC over Ohio State, Pierre Dean (No. 66) chose Georgia over Ohio State, Earnest Rankings (No. 117) picked Florida State over Ohio State, Landon Barnes (No. 139) picked Ole Miss over Ohio State, and K.J. Ford (No. 116) is expected to pick Florida over Ohio State on Friday, July 11.
So my question is, why? A lot of Buckeye onlookers and insiders are discussing the program and athletic department’s philosophy of focusing NIL money on proven players already on the roster rather than recruits who have yet to play a down of collegiate football. Ryan Day has discussed that plan in the past, and athletic director Ross Bjork has preached that type of hesitancy following the House settlement, potentially scarred by his time as AD at Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
While not a defensive lineman, on Friday, five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo (No. 7 nationally) committed to Texas Tech 24, just hours after confirming that his top four were Florida, Texas, Michigan, and Ohio State. So, what changed?
Who knows? But, his agent did say after his client’s commitment that the Red Raiders offered Ojo a fully guaranteed, three-year, $5.1 million deal. So maybe that had something to do with it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I don’t know how those kinds of contracts work with college students, who, presumably, can transfer whenever they want, but that’s clearly not something Ohio State fans (and bloggers) have to worry about, because the Buckeyes seem to have no interest in going anywhere near those types of deals.
Despite the NIL stinginess, Johnson has clearly been incredibly close to landing plenty of players who would have changed the tenor of this conversation. So, is OSU’s refusal to pay a ton of money for young, unproven talent to blame? Some beat reporters think so, and they might be right. But then, why does it not seem to be impacting other positions nearly as much?
Brian Hartline’s wide receiver room currently includes the Nos. 15 and 108 players in the country. The defensive back haul includes Nos. 26, 106, 173, and 176. Tyler Bowen’s first OSU offensive line class currently includes the Nos. 109 and 127 players. And even though James Laurinaitis only has two linebackers currently in his class, one of them is the No. 71 player in the country, and Carlos Locklyn has the No. 167 player in his running back class.
In total, there are currently 10 OSU commits ranked ahead of Wilder, the top defensive line recruit in the Buckeyes’ 2026 class.
Obviously, OSU’s WR pedigree gives Hartline an advantage that practically no position coach in the country has, and I would venture to guess that when it comes to NIL, other than quarterback and wide receiver, defensive linemen (especially edge rushers) command the most money. So perhaps OSU’s frugality hurts LJ a little more than anyone else, buuuuuuuut, he is 72 years old, and I have to imagine that has an impact as well.
We have long heard about schools negatively recruiting against Johnson, telling players that the beloved, grandfatherly position coach was inevitably going to retire during their college career. And while that seems to have quieted down over the past few years, I have to imagine that being 30 to 40 years older than many of the guys you’re recruiting against does put a seed of insecurity into the back of prospects’ minds. Understandably, no one wants to sign with a school only to have the coach who recruited them retire a quarter, or even half, way through their collegiate career.
I don’t doubt that Larry Johnson can still cultivate meaningful relationships with recruits and their families as well as anyone; if he couldn’t, we wouldn’t routinely see OSU as a finalist for the top players in the country. But clearly something is not connecting with the defensive line recruits like it is with players at other positions.
Ohio State’s apprehension to shell out big bucks for high school players is admirable. Saving that money to invest in keeping the best, most-proven players on campus clearly worked for the Buckeyes last season, but a lot of those guys came to Columbus before the advent of NIL. So you have to wonder how many would have even been on the team in the first place had Ryan Day had to pony up cash to get their commitment initially.
Again, I think the philosophy is laudable, and in a perfect world, that would probably be the way I’d want things to happen. But if you don’t get high-quality talent on campus to begin with, you’re not going to have anyone worth paying to keep in school when the time comes. I’m fine with not getting into an arms race that gives a rising high school senior $5.1 million fully guaranteed, but I do wonder how different things would be if the Buckeyes loosened the purse strings a bit more for the most explosive position on the defensive side of the ball.
The Buckeyes seem to be playing by NIL and revenue-sharing rules that not only is no one else following, but that don’t even really exist to begin with. Of course, we don’t want to see our beloved, saintly program devolve into the depths of moral and ethical degradation as has happened in that cesspool of depravity and licentiousness known as Ann Arbor, but this is Ohio State.
The program has literally every weapon imaginable at its disposal, and while we know that they aren’t going to land every five-star prospect that they get to visit, it would be unfathomable and unforgivable if the administration inside the football program, or the athletic department at large, was handcuffing the coaches by not letting them play (and pay) on equal footing with the other programs around the country.
While I think that Larry Johnson can still go out there and give you a solid six innings, it seems pretty clear to me that he has lost a bit on his fastball, at least from a recruiting perspective. It is unfair to arguably the greatest defensive line coach in the history of college football if Day and/or Bjork aren’t giving him every tool possible to be successful.
LJ has clearly needed a little help in sealing some of his more high-profile deals in recent years, so I hope that the powers that be let him open up the checkbook a little bit more in the most impactful situations.
NIL
Report: Five-star OT Felix Ojo inks fully-guaranteed 3-year, $5.1 million rev share deal with Texas Tech
Mansfield (TX) Lake Ridge five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, one of the top prospects in 2026, made a Fourth of July commitment to Texas Tech. The Red Raiders will now be paying him quite well with an unprecendented, fully guaranteed revenue-sharing deal. Ojo committed to Texas Tech this afternoon over top schools like Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio […]

Mansfield (TX) Lake Ridge five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, one of the top prospects in 2026, made a Fourth of July commitment to Texas Tech. The Red Raiders will now be paying him quite well with an unprecendented, fully guaranteed revenue-sharing deal.
Ojo committed to Texas Tech this afternoon over top schools like Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio State, and Ole Miss. ESPN’s Eli Lederman reported that the Red Raiders signed Ojo to a fully guaranteed revenue-share deal worth $5.1 million over three years. On3’s Pete Nakos reported more details of the agreement.
Ojo’s guaranteed rev-share amount is roughly half the $5.1 million, according to Nakos, and the contract pays out $775,000 per year over three years. Including incentives and if the deal is renegotiated, the five-star offensive lineman is set to earn $1.2 million in Year 1, $1.6 million in Year 2 and $2.1 million in Year 3. Nakos added Texas Tech softball helped pull the deal off.
This comes a few days after the House v. NCAA settlement took effect around college athletics. Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement back on June 6th after nearly five years since the filing of House v. NCAA. That allowed for revenue-sharing, with schools paying athletes directly, beginning earlier this week on July 1st.
Ojo ranks as the No. 6 overall recruit as a five-star prospect in the 2026 cycle. He also rates as the No. 3 OT in the class, behind Jackson Cantwell (No. 1 – Miami) and Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 4 – Oregon). He is also the No. 1 player in the state of Texas, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Following his July 4th commitment, Ojo becomes Texas Tech’s highest-rated commitment of all time as part of what’s shaping out to be a Top-25 class for the Red Raiders in 2026.
This comes after the spring where Texas Tech became a national player in the NIL and transfer portal landscape. The Red Raiders are coming off of an 8-5 2024 season in Year 3 for head coach Joey McGuire, who signed the No. 1 class in the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to On3. Eight of their 21 portal additions this offseason ranked in the Top-100 of On3’s 2025 Top Transfer Portal Players. Expectations are now becoming more real for the program down in the Big 12, especially if they can capitalize on this season after recruiting success both in the portal and in high school.
For today, though, Texas Tech can enjoy what is the commitment of their highest-ranked recruit in school history. Ojo can celebrate as well with his recruitment ending in what’s reportedly a very large, guaranteed deal for him ahead of his collegiate career in Lubbock.
NIL
These schools are sitting on college sports’ biggest gold mines
With the revenue-sharing era of college sports finally here, you are going to start seeing plenty of athletic programs screaming that they are broke. There’s never enough money when it comes time to pay the student-athletes, but there’s always enough money to build a new recruiting lounge, practice facility, or to pay exorbitant buyout dollars […]

With the revenue-sharing era of college sports finally here, you are going to start seeing plenty of athletic programs screaming that they are broke. There’s never enough money when it comes time to pay the student-athletes, but there’s always enough money to build a new recruiting lounge, practice facility, or to pay exorbitant buyout dollars to fire a disappointing coach.
The pennies get pinched when that money has to go to those doing the actual work and earning the cash.
And sure, some programs are much, much richer than others. The same is true of conferences. The list of programs valued the highest in college athletics features 14 of the Top 15 from either the SEC or the Big Ten.
Massive media rights deals from ESPN (SEC) and CBS (Big Ten) produce the majority of the revenue stream for those two power conferences. The separation between the big two and the rest of the “power-four” continues to get bigger and bigger.
CNBC researched the valuations of the Top 75 athletic departments in December of last year. You can view he full list here.
10. Oklahoma – $928 million
Oklahoma flexed its budgetary muscles in the Transfer Portal this offseason for both football and basketball. For football, the Sooners landed impact players like QB John Mateer (Washington State) and RB Jayden Ott (Cal) as the powers that be in Norman supply Brent Venables everything he needs to turn Oklahoma back into a powerhouse after a mostly disappointing three-year tenure to date.
9. Tennessee – $940 million
Life in the SEC is that you can have the ninth most valuable athletic department in the country, and that still ranks you fifth in your own conference. The Vols have spent plenty of money in the NIL era, most notably to land Nico Iamaleava in the 2023 recruiting class, just to see the star QB bolt for UCLA this spring.
8. Nebraska – $943 million
Perhaps the most interesting name on this list is Nebraska, as the Huskers are a shell of their former selves on the gridiron. Nebraska has one winning season in the last nine years, and despite the gold mine they are sitting on in Lincoln, they clearly have not allocated their resources in the correct direction.
7. Georgia – $950 million
Everyone knew Georgia was a sleeping powerhouse, and Kirby Smart has delivered a pair of national titles during his tenure as the head coach. The Bulldogs are also spending in basketball recently, landing 5-star prospects like Anthony Edwards and Asa Newell over the last six years.
6. Notre Dame – $969 million
The only non-SEC or Big Ten school in the Top 10 is, unsurprisingly, Notre Dame. The Irish have maintained conference independence even into the new era, and their media rights deal with NBC is incredibly lucrative. Marcus Freeman has the football team rolling, with Notre Dame making the National Championship last season and reeling in high-end talent in recruiting.
5. Alabama – $978 million
The last 20 years of football dominance have done wonders for Alabama’s athletic department budget and the city of Tuscaloosa as a whole. Nick Saban laid the foundation for what the Tide is today, and that money has also allowed the basketball program to take a giant leap forward under Nate Oats.
4. Michigan – 1.06 billion
Four athletic departments are worth more than a billion dollars, one of which is Michigan. The Wolverines are typically competitive in most sports, but like the others, their bread and butter is on the gridiron. Michigan recently won a national title and hasn’t been shy to spend the necessary money to bring in elite talent like 5-star freshman QB Bryce Underwood.
3. Texas A&M – $1.26 billion
Texas A&M will ultimately pay Jimbo Fisher $77.5 million not to coach the Aggies after he was fired near the end of the 2023 season. Most programs would just deal with mediocrity for a while to prevent paying such a high figure, but A&M is flush with cash and short on patience.
2. Texas – $1.28 billion
Texas is finally back among the elite in college football. All that is missing is Steve Sarkisian to deliver a National Title, and with the way the Longhorns have recruited, and the significant NIL investment made by the University and its boosters, that feels like just a matter of time.
1. Ohio State – $1.32 billion
Ohio State spent what it had to in order to deliver a National Championship in football last season. Some estimated the Buckeyes spent north of $20 million putting together their 2024 football roster. Fans in Columbus would tell you that’s money well spent for the reward of the program’s first National Championship in a decade.
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