College football’s rising payrolls soar to $2.9B, putting pressure on Arizona, Big 12

According to Opendorse’s college football NIL report last week, Power 4 football programs are spending an average of $24.8 million on their football rosters between revenue-sharing and outside-funded NIL money, up from $9.4 million last season.

Among Power 4 players in the 95th percentile (generally top starters), the pay ranges from an average of $3.1 million for a quarterback to $225,000 for a specialist. Quarterback values range steeply for standouts: In its July annual report for all college sports, Opendorse estimated quarterbacks in the 90th percentile were making an average of just $1.5 million

The overall numbers were even beyond the initial projections from Opendorse, which tracks and markets NIL deals throughout Division I. Opendorse said it projected total college football spend would be $2.4 billion in 2026 but that the figure wound up at $2.9 billion after deals were analyzed.

However, the Big 12 football roster budgets may be lower than other Power 4 leagues, based on Opendorse's estimates for budgets in all sports. Opendorse says Big Ten schools have the highest NIL budgets ($48.2 million) for all sports, followed by SEC schools ($44.5 million), ACC ($29.4 million) and then Big 12 ($24.3 million).

Those numbers include the $21.3 million revenue-sharing cap for all sports across Division I, suggesting the Big Ten and SEC have more than doubled that with NIL to create their budgets, while Big 12 schools are exceeding the rev-share cap by just $3 million with outside funds.

Across all of college football, the payrolls have increased significantly since NIL was first allowed in 2021-22. That season, football roster payrolls were $393 million, rising all the way to $1.9 billion last season, when revenue-sharing money from schools were allowed, then rising to $2.9 billion this season.

“There has never been a more lucrative time to be a college athlete. Period. Full stop," Opendorse wrote in its report. “The market repeatedly shows that one year’s ceiling becomes the next year’s standard."

Not surprisingly, top quarterbacks average the most of the position groups, but their increase is the smallest, just 4.6% higher than last season. Specialists actually had the highest percentage increase, 60.9, while running backs increased 50.4% to an average of $932,300.

Opendorse’s figures for top players are defined as those in the 95th percentile, or essentially Power 4 starters. Players in that category are averaging the following amount depending on what position they play:

– Quarterbacks: $3.1 million (4.6% increase)

– Running backs: $932,300 (50.4%)

– Wide receivers: $1.0 million (28.3%)

– Tight ends: $588,700 (67.3%)

– Offensive linemen: $801,000 (12.8)

– Defensive linemen: $871,800 (14.7%)

– Linebackers: $779,700 (24.2%)

– Defensive backs: $750,900 (16.8%)

– Specialists: $225,300 (60.9%)