10 Biggest NIL Spenders in College Football for 2025

[bdroc]

Oklahoma State Coach Gundy declared that "the Ducks were spending $40 million annually on their football team, compared to the Cowboys' $7 million annual NIL budget, and that teams should potentially play against opponents based on spending". Is he wrong?

Auburn $18m-$20m
Tennessee $20m
USC $20m+
Michigan $20m+
Miami $25m+
A&M $25m+
Oregon $30m
Texas Tech $28m-$30m
Ohio State $35m+
Texas $40m


So just in the BiG you've got OSU, Oregon, Michigan, and USC as the biggest spenders. I suspect that PSU is in the $16m-$17m range and that teams like Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin and Illinois aren't too far behind. The bottom half of the league doesn't have much of a chance.

The 10 Biggest NIL Spenders in College Football for 2025 - Hightop Sports

Welcome to the new era of college football—where the richest rosters win before the ball…

hightopsport.com

 

[27Pellis]

Oklahoma State Coach Gundy declared that "the Ducks were spending $40 million annually on their football team, compared to the Cowboys' $7 million annual NIL budget, and that teams should potentially play against opponents based on spending". Is he wrong?

Auburn $18m-$20m
Tennessee $20m
USC $20m+
Michigan $20m+
Miami $25m+
A&M $25m+
Oregon $30m
Texas Tech $28m-$30m
Ohio State $35m+
Texas $40m


So just in the BiG you've got OSU, Oregon, Michigan, and USC as the biggest spenders. I suspect that PSU is in the $16m-$17m range and that teams like Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin and Illinois aren't too far behind. The bottom half of the league doesn't have much of a chance.

The 10 Biggest NIL Spenders in College Football for 2025 - Hightop Sports

Welcome to the new era of college football—where the richest rosters win before the ball…

hightopsport.com

Paying student athletes is good, and long overdue. But unless there are enforceable “top end” limits, it ceases being athletic competition and become literal financial competition. The game is won in the financial board rooms, not the athletic field and locker rooms. —-Need a handle on this quick.

 

[bdroc]

Paying student athletes is good, and long overdue. But unless there are enforceable “top end” limits, it ceases being athletic competition and become literal financial competition. The game is won in the financial board rooms, not the athletic field and locker rooms. —-Need a handle on this quick.

I'm old fashioned because I think college sports should be played by college students. Regardless the whole NIL thing is a joke. The idea was that if student Suzie could get a part time job why can't football student Bob. I can accept that even though student Suzie wasn't getting a free ride with luxury accommodations. So let the players sell autographs or do a car dealership commercial. I wouldn't even have a problem if NCAA football video games had to play a royalty that was divided among players. But today the player gets NIL money for doing nothing of value for the donor (it's not a job). Then they can go somewhere else if they can get a better deal. That doesn't even happen in professional sports. Meanwhile academics have become an afterthought.

 

[27Pellis]

I'm old fashioned because I think college sports should be played by college students. Regardless the whole NIL thing is a joke. The idea was that if student Suzie could get a part time job why can't football student Bob. I can accept that even though student Suzie wasn't getting a free ride with luxury accommodations. So let the players sell autographs or do a car dealership commercial. I wouldn't even have a problem if NCAA football video games had to play a royalty that was divided among players. But today the player gets NIL money for doing nothing of value for the donor (it's not a job). Then they can go somewhere else if they can get a better deal. That doesn't even happen in professional sports. Meanwhile academics have become an afterthought.

Agree that the academic structure has served as a latticework and been canabalized by the parasite of NIL. Academics, in many instances have become secondary or tertiary…..or an irritating necessity. This is *** backwards.—Again, I support the athlete being paid, given the ridiculous amount of money made by colleges off of their efforts/performance, but how they’re paid and “limits” need to be addressed. —Unadressed, this becomes the Wild, Wild West, and College athletics goes away( other than D-3)