$50 million rosters. $5 million QBs. What it costs to build a college football contender

$50 million rosters. $5 million QBs. What it costs to build a college football contender.

Key points

• It far outstrips the House settlement's provision of maximum school-to-athlete direct revenue-sharing of $21.35 million for the 2026-27 term.
• They unanimously agreed on the top spenders, in no particular order: LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Texas, Texas Tech and Notre Dame.
• Multiple P4 coaches and GMs put the edge rusher market at around $750, 000 but quick to escalate.
• If you're a dude, a difference-maker, remarked an SEC GM, then you're easily getting upwards of $900, 000, a million.
• Appearing on Capitol Hill, Notre Dame's athletic director declared in public testimony there's this misnomer that there's a (salary) cap.

Pete Bevacqua provided the unofficial bullhorn for spending on college football rosters in early June.

Appearing on Capitol Hill, Notre Dame's athletic director declared in public testimony "there's this misnomer that there's a (salary) cap. There is no cap."

Speaking exclusively last month to USA TODAY Sports, Rich Rodriguez – now in Year 2, Part II as West Virginia's football coach – put college football's roster spend in plainer terms.

We're on a runaway train and it's not slowing down; it's just getting worse, remarked Rodriguez, who's been a head or assistant coach in all four power conferences. Individuals don't realize how competitive, not just coaches, but schools are.

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"If I'm a school that's got a $40 million roster, and I'm playing a team in my league with a $15 million roster, well, I don't want the rules to change; I like it."

How common is that type of financial mismatch unfolding on college football fields? What's the spending throughout college football's highest-funded rosters?

"I would say most of them are operating with a minimum of $25 million in the Big Ten and SEC, some close to $50 million at the top, " remarked Rodriguez, estimating 50% of all Power Four games feature a dramatic discrepancy in spending. "In the Big 12, I don't know this for fact, but I am 'guesstimating' that there are a few at the $40 million mark, maybe a little bit more."

Meanwhile, a prominent general manager at a Power Four school informed USA TODAY Sports he expects one more year of massive payroll increases without Congressional oversight.

The pay has become insane. I don't know if it can be sustained, the person remarked. I think it will go up one more time, to where it goes to $60 million for a lot of teams, and then I think that will be it. It's obtained one more jump and that will be all.

"Otherwise, at this rate, three years from now payrolls will be at $100 million. But I think next year, individuals are really preparing for $60 million. Since we're trying to hit $50 million next year – which is really hard to do.", I know this.

As well as more than a dozen agents to find out what do college football's top rosters cost in 2026 and what positions earn a premium, USA TODAY Sports spoke to more than 20 FBS head coaches, approximately 25 college football general managers and personnel directors.

All were granted anonymity to discuss the spending. It far outstrips the House settlement's provision of maximum school-to-athlete direct revenue-sharing of $21.35 million for the 2026-27 term.

At least a half-dozen teams are at or near $50 million in roster-spend for the coming season, no less than 10 head coaches and general managers informed USA TODAY Sports.

Even without the heft of Brendan Sorsby's nullified contract. It two individuals with direct knowledge of the situation informed USA TODAY Sports could have been worth more than $6 million, the Red Raiders are far and away the biggest Major 12 spenders, multiple conference coaches shared.

Two different national agencies tabbed at least 11 programs nationwide with roster spends of $40 million or more.

"We're at $40 million, " remarked one general manager whose team is ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. "I know we're not the most, but I can accord with being concerning $14 million behind the most. We still have to go play. We still have to go win games."

Three Group of Six head coaches, two acknowledging their own roster costs, put the top level of spending in that realm of FBS football at approximately $10-11 million.

"We're at close to $9 million, " a head coach informed USA TODAY Sports. "But, we're working to obtain another $2 million for the season. We'll work to retain guys sooner than afterwards; that's always cheaper." What positions attract the most NIL in college football?

What's the positional breakdown in crafting a roster ginning up a cost in the tens of millions of dollars?

"We're valuing it just like the NFL: We're gonna spend on quarterback, tackle and edge, first, " a current general manager with lead experience in two power conferences informed USA TODAY Sports. "After that, it's corner and wide receiver."

As explained to USA TODAY Sports, are set to create $3.5 million or more at numerous P-4 programs and a couple of outliers are poised to earn $5 million or more, quarterbacks.

"Generally, it's in the $2 to $3 million range for a mid-level, P-4 starting quarterback, " an agent who reps two such players shared.

"Starting quarterbacks are between, I mean, $2 million to $6 million, depending on where you are, " remarked the top personnel executive of a multi-time College Football Playoff team.

"Our quarterback makes $1.5 million, but it's because we got him with the right people to make up for the money. $2 million is kind of the bottom in our league where, in reality, our guy should be making $2.5 million." An SEC executive explained the year-over-year jump.

We were right around $25, $26 million last year and that put us upper-third in the league, he remarked. Once you obtained into the portal this year, the limit didn't exist. If you were a player individuals coveted, a Jordan Seaton, really almost all those LSU guys, Jordan Seaton, Sam Leavitt, Byrum Brown is making a sizeable number at Auburn, Xavier Atkins is a seven-figure linebacker.

"When it came to (saying), 'We have to keep somebody, ' it only takes one school to blow up the marketplace – and a lot of times it's a school in Texas."

For context, a quarterback's best friend – typically his starting left tackle – is next in the marketplace.

There are multiple $2 million tackles throughout the college game, numerous individuals shared, and ACC, Major Ten and Sizeable 12 programs all paid at least $1 million to sign tackles out of the portal in January.

"If you're a starting tackle, you should be at a million at the P4 level, " remarked an agent who brokered at least three such deals, including at least $1 million apiece in the Sizeable Ten and Major 12. "There are exceptions. Our highest-paid guy this year is $1.35 million in the ACC."

Edge rushers are next in the hierarchy. Multiple P4 coaches and GMs put the edge rusher market at around $750, 000 but quick to escalate.

"If you're (South Carolina star) Dylan Stewart, you should be getting $2 million. If you're a starter at edge in this league, just a guy, you're still probably around $600, 000."

Top wide receivers, three different SEC staffers remarked, can command seven figures.

"If you're an NFL guy (prospect), " remarked a GM, "you're getting a million-plus. It's crazy. I don't know how it's sustainable."

Notably, a wide receiver with zero career starts and multiple years of eligibility remaining still commanded a significant payday in the Major Ten, his agent stated.

"We got him signed for more than $400, 000, " he remarked. "He's obtained multiple years to play. They're trying to obtain better in a hurry."

Taken together, the developments around $50 million rosters. $5 million QBs. What it costs to build a point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.