College football’s become one of the world’s most lucrative sports. Programs rake in billions—yeah, billions—in revenue every year.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal study, the Texas Longhorns are now the most valuable college football program, with a wild valuation just shy of $2.2 billion. Let’s poke around at the financial giants of college football: who’s on top, where the money comes from, and what’s driving these jaw-dropping numbers.
The Financial Titans of College Football
The latest valuation numbers show the top 20 programs have jumped by 46% in value, year over year. That’s not a small bump—it’s a tidal wave, mostly thanks to the new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era and big changes in revenue sharing.
Top 5 Most Valuable Programs
Texas leads the group with a $2.197 billion valuation and a projected $298 million in 2025 adjusted revenue. Not far behind:
- Texas A&M: $1.593 billion, $218 million revenue.
- Ohio State: $1.547 billion, $185 million revenue.
- LSU: $1.543 billion, $213 million revenue.
- Michigan: $1.463 billion, $200 million revenue.
These schools aren’t just good at football—they’re business machines. Media rights, ticket sales, alumni donations, licensing, and ad contracts all help pad their bank accounts.
The Role of Media Rights and Conference Distributions
Media rights are a huge piece of the puzzle. College football media deals have now crossed the $4 billion mark, which is just staggering.
The SEC and Big Ten, in particular, throw their weight around—lots of influence, lots of voting power, especially compared to other conferences and Notre Dame.
Debate Over Playoff Expansion
The SEC and Big Ten are locked in a bit of a standoff over playoff expansion. They can’t quite agree on a 16-team versus 24-team bracket, and there’s a Friday deadline looming for the 2026 season.
Impact of NIL and Revenue Sharing
NIL compensation, introduced in 2021, changed everything. Now, athletes can make money from endorsements and third-party deals, which has totally reshaped recruiting and player retention.
Schools are allowed to share up to $20.5 million of their revenue with players, and some big programs are blowing right past that number.
Top NIL Spenders
Ohio State, Oregon, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Miami are leading the NIL spending race. They use big budgets to pull in top talent, especially through the transfer portal.
Ohio State, for example, keeps reloading its roster with star players, which definitely helps them stay competitive.
Valuations of Other Notable Programs
Outside the top five, plenty of other programs have sky-high valuations too:
- Georgia: $1.472 billion, $195 million revenue.
- Penn State: $1.411 billion, $193 million revenue.
- Alabama: $1.401 billion, $192 million revenue.
- Nebraska: $1.236 billion, $197 million revenue.
- Notre Dame: $1.418 billion, $170 million revenue.
Coaching Changes and Future Prospects
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, a quarter of the top 20 programs will have new head coaches. LSU snagged Lane Kiffin, and Penn State brought in Matt Campbell.
Will these changes shake things up? Maybe. New energy, new strategies—hard not to be a little curious how it’ll play out.
LSU’s Top Transfer Class
LSU’s already making moves under Kiffin. According to 247Sports, they’ve landed the nation’s top transfer class.
Adding quarterback Sam Leavitt from Arizona State and Husan Longstreet from USC shows the Tigers aren’t messing around when it comes to building a loaded roster for next season.
Conclusion
College football programs just keep getting more valuable. That’s mostly thanks to savvy financial moves, big media rights deals, and all the new money flowing in from NIL and revenue-sharing.
It seems like schools such as Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, LSU, and Michigan are always pushing the bar higher—on the field and in the books. You can’t help but wonder where it all goes from here, especially with playoff talk heating up and coaching shake-ups always lurking.
If you’re curious and want to dig deeper, check out the full article on CBS Sports.
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