The current version of college football has one very simple rule. If you don’t pay your roster, you will not win. But it isn’t just players, even competent staff now command big salaries. The NIL era has blown the doors open for programs to show how deep their pockets really go, and it looks like Ohio State is ahead of the pack.

As per a report by Matt Brown of Extra Points, the Buckeyes’ expenses for FY25 increased from $78,586,384 in FY24 to an eye-popping $92,359,300. FY25 covers the season in which Ohio State won the national championship. On the other hand, Alabama’s expenses decreased from $113,835,360 in FY24 to $82,859,480 in FY25, a 27.20% decrease.

Keep in mind that these figures do not include athlete-related compensation such as NIL deals, House settlement payments, or direct player payroll. These numbers stem from coaching and staff salaries, buyout and severance packages, recruiting operations, team travel, meals, software and analytics expenses, guarantee games, facility-related costs, and day-to-day program operations.

The increase in Ohio State’s expenses can be explained when we look at the events before the 2024 season. Ryan Day hired Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on a $2 million/year contract to replace Bill O’Brien, who left for Boston College. But that wasn’t all. Since Kelly was set to make more than O’Brien, other assistants also got raises.

Jim Knowles’ salary increases to $2.2 million after a $243,000 raise. Even DL coach Larry Johnson and secondary coach Tim Walton got raises of $233,010 and $400,000, respectively. In total, Ohio State’s football assistants made $11.43 million that year, the highest amount at the time. This doesn’t include the $1.5 million the Buckeyes paid UCLA to secure Kelly’s release from his contract with the Bruins.

The financial figures also revealed a major shift in expenditure at both Penn State and Florida State. The two programs surged past Alabama in football operating expenses for FY25. Penn State saw its spending climb dramatically from $64,463,970 to $89,186,987, while Florida State jumped from $61,109,773 to $85,376,878.

The Nittany Lions’ jump in expenses could be tied to the renovation of Beaver Stadium. Similarly, the Noles also carried out renovations at Doak Campbell Stadium. And when it comes to Alabama’s drop, it was all because of a once-in-a-generation transition.

But some programs can shock the community. During the 2024-25 fiscal year, Oklahoma’s primary NIL entity, 1Oklahoma, distributed a staggering $32 million directly to its players. To remain competitive during their transition into the SEC, the Sooners effectively built a pro-level payroll. This demonstrates how funding has shifted from infrastructure to paying for premium roster talent.

In preparation for the 2024–2025 season, Texas Tech football grew its total NIL budget to $13.5 million (up from $3.4 million the previous year). The Red Raiders allocated $12 million of that budget exclusively to 21 incoming transfers. This aggressive approach aimed to immediately upgrade the roster and challenge the traditional powers in the Big 12.

Programs liked to spend money even prior to NIL. Long before direct revenue-sharing, Georgia became the first school to consistently cross the $5 million to $6 million annual mark purely on football recruiting expenses (covering private jets, helicopter rides for coaches, and lavish recruit visits). Kirby Smart explicitly argued that recruiting is the lifeblood of a program. This massive financial commitment successfully built a roster that secured consecutive national championships.

Clemson spent $55 million on a football ops complex featuring a bowling alley, laser tag, a golf simulator, and an outdoor basketball court. This investment launched the modern “facilities arms race.” Programs realized that since they could not pay players directly at the time, they could win over recruits by building the most luxurious, resort-style compounds in the country.

The Nick Saban factor in Alabama’s figures

Nick Saban gave college football a shock when he decided to hang up his boots in January 2024 after losing to Michigan in the semifinal of the playoffs. The effects of that retirement were evident in FY24 figures. The Crimson Tide spent $47.4 million on coaching expenses for the financial year ending June 30, 2024.

These figures included the buyout Alabama paid to Washington to get Kalen DeBoer. It also included the coaching expenses incurred in hiring a new head coach and assembling his staff. It was a rare instance because in FY25, the coaching expenses dropped from $47.4 million to $25.2 million. We saw a similar drop in overall financial figures from FY25.

The numbers may rise in the next few fiscal years as the program has handed a contract extension to Kalen DeBoer. He is set to earn $12.5 million per year under his new deal, making him the third highest-paid coach in college football.

Furthermore, the expenses and rankings of teams will look entirely different once we take into account the money spent on players. While programs like Ohio State and Texas will still dominate the field, the likes of Oregon, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M will also feature at the top.