Overview
- On Wednesday, Sept. 16, The Athletic released estimated roster and NIL budget ranges for 68 Power Four programs plus Notre Dame, putting Ohio State, Oregon and Texas at the top of the list.
- The Athletic said it compiled the ranges from roughly 70 interviews with inside-program figures and publicly available information and counted funds from athletic departments and booster-controlled pools while excluding independent national endorsements.
- The report places Ohio State at about $49–$54 million and several programs in the $40 million plus range, while Boston College sits near the bottom at roughly $8–$13 million, illustrating a steep resource divide.
- Texas coach Steve Sarkisian publicly called The Athletic’s Texas estimate inaccurate on Sept. 17, highlighting immediate pushback over the outlet’s insider-based methodology and prompting local follow-ups and scrutiny.
- Observers note a clear overlap between higher estimated spending and better on-field rankings and playoff odds, a pattern that reshapes recruiting and the transfer market and increases pressure for clearer public accounting or governance changes.