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Jackson reviews the list of the Athletic's top 25 college football programs. The projected price for the top CFB teams, including Ohio State, Texas, and more.
College Football Program Valuations
These college football valuations and prices are based on The Athletic’s hypothetical projections of how much it would cost to buy each program if it were for sale. Unlike NFL teams, college football programs cannot be purchased, but what if they could be?
These projections take revenue, program prestige, championships, conference prestige, facilities, population trends, and realignment scenarios. Let’s dive in!
1. Texas Longhorns
Projected Price: $2.3 Billion
Now a member of the SEC, the Longhorns have everything you could ask for in a high-level college football program. Texas was the only football program to earn $200 million in revenue based on the most recent financial report, and they don’t even have to leave the state to field a loaded roster of future NFL talent.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Projected Price: $1.92 Billion
Like Texas, Georgia is another state littered with talent, which the Bulldogs take advantage of every season. Georgia has just five losing seasons in the last 50 years, and Kirby Smart has taken the team to Tier 1 in the college football landscape.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Projected Price: $1.9 Billion
Ohio State has seen just one losing season in the last 35 campaigns, and the Buckeye brand is one of the most nationally recognizable in the country. Fresh off a College Football Playoff National Championship, Ryan Day’s program takes the No. 3 spot.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Projected Price: $1.85 Billion
Notre Dame is historically the college football version of “America’s Team.” Like the Dallas Cowboys, most fans either love them or hate them. Despite the higher academic standard, the Irish can recruit with the best of them, and Marcus Freeman could be ready to lead the program back to glory after a CFP Natty appearance. Their exclusive TV rights deal with NBC helps raise the price here.
5. Michigan Wolverines
Projected Price: $1.83 Billion
Michigan has the largest stadium in the nation, and they might have the biggest fan base. While Michigan State “steals” some of the in-state fans and talent, the Spartans don’t come close to matching the value of the Wolverines’ brand.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
Projected Price: $1.74 Billion
Is there any college football program that matches the history and prestige of Alabama? Probably not. However, the projected “price” of the team has dropped a bit, and the Crimson Tide program is a riskier “investment” after Nick Saban decided to step away.
7. Oklahoma Sooners
Projected Price: $1.49 Billion
Before joining the SEC, the Sooners were one of the most consistent winners in college football. Between head coaches Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley from 1999 to 2021, Oklahoma won at least 10 games in 18 of 23 seasons. The program can get back to elite status, but it’s looking shaky for now.
8. USC Trojans
Projected Price: $1.4 Billion
As a member of the Pac-12, USC would not have ranked this highly. However, revenue is set to explode as a full-time member of the Big Ten, and the program currently holds the No. 1-ranked recruiting class for 2026. The investment is there.
9. Tennessee Volunteers
Projected Price: $1.37 Billion
The Vols ranked fourth in total football revenue in the last fiscal year, but this is a program still on the rise after a long stretch of despair. If Josh Heupel continues to stabilize the program as a consistent winner, Tennessee could be a sleeping giant.
10. LSU Tigers
Projected Price: $1.23 Billion
While it’s understandable if you expected LSU to be among the elites, the football program was surprisingly 13th in total revenue last year. That’s a big piece of the equation here. Either way, the Tigers should always be competing for championships.
11. Penn State Nittany Lions
Projected Price: $1.2 Billion
James Franklin has Penn State on the rise, and the team has national title aspirations in 2025. Between that and a $700 million renovation project to Beaver Stadium, this is another program to look back on in a few years to see where it stands.
12. Florida Gators
Projected Price: $1.08 Billion
Florida also has everything you need to be a successful program, but it does have to compete with Florida State and Miami for recruits, and the on-field product has been inconsistent at best since Urban Meyer left town.
13. Auburn Tigers
Projected Price: $1.06 Billion
It’s mostly been a tough road since Cam Newton left Auburn for the NFL following the 2010 season, and sharing a state with the Crimson Tide isn’t ideal. Despite that, Auburn is a top-notch brand and program.
14. Oregon Ducks
Projected Price: $990 Million
While the Ducks are certainly a national brand and have a close relationship with Nike, the lack of championships keeps the Ducks from the Tier-1 range of programs. Dan Lanning is building something special in Eugene, though, so that might not last long.
15. Texas A&M Aggies
Projected Price: $973 Million
Do you want an exceptional fan base and a program that will never have to worry about money and revenue? That’s Texas A&M. But for some reason, it hasn’t translated to consistent winning, especially at a high level. The potential is here, but historical trends slot the Aggies in at the No. 15 spot.
16. Washington Huskies
Projected Price: $970 Million
The Huskies will only receive a half-payout from the Big Ten through 2030, but this is still a valuable program that has been led to the College Football Playoff by two different coaches. Sharing a town with the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, and Seattle Kraken puts a ceiling on the football program and fan investment overall, but Washington has come a long way since the pre-Steve Sarkisian days.
17. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Projected Price: $930 Million
Nebraska is another program that is never short of money, but the football program has not beaten a ranked team since 2016 or finished inside the top 25 since 2012. That’s pretty wild, and the lack of on-field success keeps the Huskers from being more valuable than the No. 17 slot.
18. Florida State Seminoles
Projected Price: $867 Million
Florida State can rebound big time, but the two-win season and feud with the ACC bring some hesitation and risk.
19. Wisconsin Badgers
Projected Price: $801 Million
Wisconsin is historically a solid program with a high floor, but it lacks the upside of all the teams listed above it. Still, this would be an interesting program to buy. It feels safe.
20. Iowa Hawkeyes
Projected Price: $709 Million
Iowa has stability and a high floor, and they’ve even contended for a Big 12 crown every now and then. However, there’s no realistic path to a CFP National Title here. Like Wisconsin, this isn’t a risky program to gamble on, but the upside isn’t there.
21. Michigan State Spartans
Projected Price: $708 Million
It’s been a depressing few seasons for Michigan State, and we should have known it would be a challenge to replace Mark Dantonio. Now in the loaded Big Ten, it could be a tough climb back to relevance for the team that shares the state with the Wolverines. This is a basketball school, so that doesn’t help much, either.
22. Clemson Tigers
Projected Price: $665 Million
Dabo Swinney has turned the Tigers into a Tier-1 program, but historical success isn’t there for Clemson, and the ACC continues to lose prestige. That said, Clemson could be set to join some kind of super conference in the future, and a third national title could raise the stakes.
23. Arkansas Razorbacks
Projected Price: $646 Million
Yet another member of the SEC, Arkansas, has a strong fan base and a treasure trove of wealthy donors. Bobby Petrino showed us you can win big with the Razorbacks, but it’s becoming more challenging in the NIL/Transfer portal era.
24. Miami Hurricanes
Projected Price: $604 Million
Despite Miami having a nationally recognizable brand, it lacks a home stadium and a passionate fan base. Again, the ACC isn’t what it used to be.
25. Ole Miss Rebels
Projected Price: $591 Million
Ole Miss has not been a great program on the field historically, but Lane Kiffin arguably has it in the glory days. The fan investment is there, so if Kiffin sticks around long-term and continues to fire off 10-win seasons, Ole Miss is a sleeper program.
Next 10 Schools
26. North Carolina
27. South Carolina
28. Minnesota
29. Utah
30. TCU
31. Virginia Tech
32. NC State
33. Texas Tech
34. Missouri
35. Northwestern
