Wolverine Digest

Want to buy the Michigan football program? Here's how much it would cost

The Athletic recently put together a valuation for college football programs across the country, and Michigan was ranked near the top.
Chris Breiler|
Christopher Breiler

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The Michigan football program is one of the most valuable college football programs in the country. On Monday, The Athletic released its FBS football program valuation projections and listed the Wolverines at No. 5, trailing only Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas.

So if you were in the market and looking to buy the Michigan football program (and it was for sale), it would cost you roughly $1.83 billion to close the deal, according to The Athletic.

Via The Athletic:

"Michigan boasts the largest stadium and, according to our previous analysis, the largest fan base, too. So why are the Wolverines behind the rival Buckeyes? Their on-field product has been much more inconsistent (five unranked seasons since 2013), and they compete with Michigan State for the share of a smaller state with a weaker population growth. Michigan feels like a slightly riskier bet than Ohio State."

Of course, none of these college football teams are for sale, and the valuations are little more than a fun attempt to highlight the value of the nation's top programs. But as The Athletic points out, college athletics is continuously drifting toward the world of professionalism. Buying a college football program isn't possible yet, but it could end up being a possibility in the future — maybe sooner than most expect.

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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