Texas, Ohio State and Oregon Top List of College Football’s Biggest Spenders, With Budgets Over $50M

Does spending more equal better results in college football?

Yes, according to a Wednesday, September 16, report by The Athletic, which featured estimated budgets of 68 college football programs in the Power Four conferences plus Notre Dame.

Ohio State, Texas and Oregon top the list and two of them — the Buckeyes and the Longhorns — have more than a 60 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to The New York Times‘ predictions.

Miami, Indiana, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and Georgia, which currently has the best odds for winning the whole championship, are all in the top 20 for spending.

The estimates are for the amount of money paid to student players, who have been legally compensated through Name, Image and License deals since 2021 and for revenue sharing since 2025, per LindySports.

In their list, The Athletic said they counted funds earned through athletic department revenue, outside booster donations and other sources that vary from school to school, but not outside endorsements or national brands.

The outlet estimated that the Longhorns could spend as much as $55 million, while the Buckeyes and Ducks spend up to $54 million.

The Fighting Irish are estimated to dole out as much as $48 million.

The majority of schools in the top 20 are in the SEC, The Athletic reported, followed by schools in the Big Ten. Arkansas spends about $25 million, making the Razorbacks the cheapest in the SEC.

The Big Ten schools showed the widest gap in spending, with Purdue shelling out less than half (about $20 million) of what Ohio State pays.

In the ACC, the Hurricanes spend the most — up to $50 million — compared to about $13 for Boston College, which is at the bottom of the full list.

With $42 million, the Red Raiders spend by far the most in the Big 12, with Cincinnati at the end of that list at around $16 million.