According to Sportico’s college finance database, Ohio State was the top spending program on athletics in 2022-23, the last data made available on the site. The Texas Longhorns spent 2.3 million, trailing behind Ohio State’s 4.9 million.The overarching issue with the NIL conversation is that there’s no evidence that higher-paid players directly translate to better […]
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According to Sportico’s college finance database, Ohio State was the top spending program on athletics in 2022-23, the last data made available on the site. The Texas Longhorns spent 2.3 million, trailing behind Ohio State’s 4.9 million.The overarching issue with the NIL conversation is that there’s no evidence that higher-paid players directly translate to better ones or wins. A program needs a sufficient level of resources to compete in this landscape. But to act like NIL is the primary reason the Buckeyes reached the end of a 12-team gauntlet undermines the efforts of the individual players, team as a whole, and coaching staff.Most of Ohio State’s funds went to retaining recruits they developed out of high school. The funds need to be there, but they only matter if there are players worth doling them out to. That’s credit the football program deserves for their cultivation of high schoolers into nine starters on both sides of the ball. The top 10 programs include six SEC programs: Texas, Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, and Auburn Tigers. Only the Longhorns reached the playoffs after beating the Georgia Bulldogs, who rank 13th in spending. The Tennessee Volunteers, the third SEC program in the CFP, finished just one spot outside of the top spenders at 11th place.The No. 1 seed, the Oregon Ducks, ranked 27th in their database, No. 3 Boise State Broncos was 67th and No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils were 30th. While the Ohio State Buckeyes may have the wealthiest NIL expenditure in college football, that’s not the sole reason they won the national championship.The regulation of NIL budgets and funds, or lack thereof, does not facilitate the creation of a true database or system for determining who has actually spent the most. Public schools have different reporting requirements with athletic budgets than private universities. While NIL leads a team to the dance, Ohio State’s 2024 national championship victory should ultimately be remembered for their coaching and development.Their assessment and vision for Will Howard were as important as the money for winning the national title, as was the case for all transfer portal players they added. Individual programs’ handling of funds and whether they gave themselves a true chance in this NIL landscape are fair points of contention. That’s not the Buckeyes’ fault. Nor is NIL the reason they won 14 games and four playoff games to become national champions. However, it’s almost taken on a level of dominance that makes it feel like there’s an incorrect perception of causation. One can spend money on a bunch of shiny new darts that won’t stick to the board. The Buckeyes landed their targets and then went and won four college football playoff games. Ohio State may very well have a million NIL budget for the football program, as reported by its athletic director. There is undeniably a correlation between NIL resources and the ability to compete in the college football playoffs. Frankly, the conversation has diminished the efforts by the Buckeyes under an unprecedented 12-team college football playoff format in which they slotted in as the No. 8 seed. It’s worth mentioning that those teams, in addition to the No. 2 Bulldogs, were the first teams knocked out of the playoffs. Was it NIL, the elongated bye week, or improper seeding? How significant a role did each factor play in each team’s demise?Ohio State didn’t win the college football playoffs because they stole Caleb Downs from Alabama, nor is that why the Crimson Tide lost to both the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Sooners. Nick Saban’s retirement likely played more of a role than the transfer portal, and NIL played in Alabama’s season.