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The new era of college football based around name, image and likeness payments has changed how rosters are built and which programs can compete at the top.
The Indiana Hoosiers came out of nowhere in 2024, reaching the College Football Playoff in Curt Cignetti's first year as head coach. Then, with some help on the NIL front, they brought in Fernando Mendoza through the transfer portal. Mendoza went on to win the Heisman Trophy, and the Hoosiers went 16-0 and won the National Championship. Just a few months after Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said undefeated teams were a thing of the past.
There are plenty of other examples: Texas Tech, with the support of billionaire Cody Campbell, built up one of the top defenses in the country and reached the playoff. NIL can dramatically change a program's fortunes overnight.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks on during warmups before the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Spending more money on players can't guarantee anything. But there's a much stronger likelihood that more expensive rosters will generally lead to higher-quality teams. So as we rapidly approach the start of the 2026 college football season, looking at estimates of NIL spending by team carries a significant amount of weight. Which teams will dominate their conferences and make a run at the playoff? Or which may have to hope they've spent their money wisely, even if it's a lower overall number?
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An organization called "College Front Office" has been compiling estimated NIL valuations for 68 teams in the Power 4 conferences, with the ultimate goal of determining which team has the most valuable roster in the sport. And, wouldn't you know it, there are plenty of playoff and SEC teams near the top of the list. Here's how the top 15 looks, per their estimates.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
It's important to note that these are based on valuations of the players on the roster and not necessarily what these teams and their collectives actually spent on NIL. But valuations are likely closely correlated to real-world spending, and the results bear that out.
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There are several obvious takeaways here, primarily that it's no surprise Texas, Miami and Ohio State are leading the way. The Longhorns have Arch Manning, one of the most valuable NIL players in the sport, and were widely viewed as the most expensive team in college football in 2025 as well. Miami's another example of a program that rebuilt itself quickly after committing to spending more. The Hurricanes were just a few plays away from winning the National Championship game themselves, and beat Texas A&M in a road game, Ohio State and then Ole Miss in the playoff just to advance to the final.
Another takeaway? The SEC and Big Ten are dominant, with 12 of the top 15 teams from those two conferences. Miami is the lone ACC team; Texas Tech is once again one of the top teams and the only Big 12 program on the list. And Notre Dame, with this level of talent and the schedule they have, looks to be a near guarantee to reach the 12-team field.
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Interestingly, Indiana is not listed in the top 15, despite coming off a National Championship win. Will that matter, or can the Hoosiers and Curt Cignetti rely on getting the most out of the talent they have? Lane Kiffin, too, has spent this offseason talking about the project he's facing at LSU, but the talent he has on the roster is, at least by these estimates, clearly playoff caliber.
Lane Kiffin speaks at a press conference as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Dec. 1, 2025. (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
Then there are two other programs that have a high-dollar-figure roster with little to show for it thus far: USC and Michigan.
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Every other team on this list has either made the playoff over the last two years, or in LSU's case, hired a new head coach who led his previous team to the playoff in the last two years. Michigan's Bryce Underwood is a sophomore and looking to build on an up-and-down freshman year and also has a new head coach. USC is at a pivotal point in Lincoln Riley's tenure, with a roster that's now finally capable of competing against other playoff-caliber teams.
Again, money can't buy everything, but the success rate of these programs in reaching the playoff indicates some level of connection. Or can Indiana be the exception once again? Yet again, we're heading for a fascinating college football season.
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