Papageorgio
The Ultimate Winner
NIL money is changing college football — and tradition alone won’t be enough anymore.
We’re entering an era where money, media exposure, and donor scale will matter as much as — if not more than — history and championships.
In the most recent valuations of college football programs, only 13 athletic departments were estimated at over $1 billion in value — and that list includes Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Penn State, LSU, and Oklahoma among others. This signals how financial scale is increasingly tied to on-field power and long-term NIL competitiveness.
The SEC has dominated college football for years, but as a conference it may start to lose ground. Programs like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU have incredible tradition and strong regional followings, but most of their donor bases are still largely regional. Outside of Texas and Texas A&M — which benefit from massive wealth, scale, and favorable economics — the SEC doesn’t consistently match the financial depth found elsewhere.
Vanderbilt is an interesting case. They’re recruiting better, have access to significant wealth, and if their donor base ever fully commits to football, they could quietly become far more competitive than people expect.
The Big Ten appears best positioned for the NIL era. It has intentionally built itself into a national conference, which brings broader media exposure, higher advertising value, and access to deeper-pocket donors. Schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, USC, and even Indiana have the financial infrastructure to sustain NIL investment over time — not just spike it for a short period.
The Big 12 likely settles into a solid third tier. While it lacks some national brands, schools such as Texas Tech, BYU, and Houston can still compete financially and remain relevant in the NIL landscape.
In the ACC, Clemson remains a strong brand, and Miami looks positioned to rise thanks to location, branding, and donor momentum. There are also elite academic institutions like Stanford and Duke whose alumni bases have significant wealth — if they ever decide to invest heavily in football, the impact could be substantial.
And then there’s Notre Dame. With a national brand, deep pockets, and its own television deal, Notre Dame is uniquely positioned to thrive regardless of conference alignment.
Bottom line: college football is moving from a tradition-driven model to a capital-driven one. Programs that can consistently fund players, attract brands, and maintain national visibility will shape the next era of the sport.
We’re entering an era where money, media exposure, and donor scale will matter as much as — if not more than — history and championships.
In the most recent valuations of college football programs, only 13 athletic departments were estimated at over $1 billion in value — and that list includes Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Penn State, LSU, and Oklahoma among others. This signals how financial scale is increasingly tied to on-field power and long-term NIL competitiveness.
The SEC has dominated college football for years, but as a conference it may start to lose ground. Programs like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU have incredible tradition and strong regional followings, but most of their donor bases are still largely regional. Outside of Texas and Texas A&M — which benefit from massive wealth, scale, and favorable economics — the SEC doesn’t consistently match the financial depth found elsewhere.
Vanderbilt is an interesting case. They’re recruiting better, have access to significant wealth, and if their donor base ever fully commits to football, they could quietly become far more competitive than people expect.
The Big Ten appears best positioned for the NIL era. It has intentionally built itself into a national conference, which brings broader media exposure, higher advertising value, and access to deeper-pocket donors. Schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, USC, and even Indiana have the financial infrastructure to sustain NIL investment over time — not just spike it for a short period.
The Big 12 likely settles into a solid third tier. While it lacks some national brands, schools such as Texas Tech, BYU, and Houston can still compete financially and remain relevant in the NIL landscape.
In the ACC, Clemson remains a strong brand, and Miami looks positioned to rise thanks to location, branding, and donor momentum. There are also elite academic institutions like Stanford and Duke whose alumni bases have significant wealth — if they ever decide to invest heavily in football, the impact could be substantial.
And then there’s Notre Dame. With a national brand, deep pockets, and its own television deal, Notre Dame is uniquely positioned to thrive regardless of conference alignment.
Bottom line: college football is moving from a tradition-driven model to a capital-driven one. Programs that can consistently fund players, attract brands, and maintain national visibility will shape the next era of the sport.
