Nebraska Football Has More Money Than Ever, Still Chasing the '$40-50 Million Rosters'

Just when Nebraska appears to take a step towards leveling the financial playing field with the top teams in college football, those top teams take three more steps.

That's the indication head coach Matt Rhule gave on Thursday, while meeting with the media ahead of spring practices starting on Saturday. Rhule was asked directly if he felt like he had enough to do what he wanted in the transfer portal this cycle.

"I think we have had more than we ever have," Rhule began. "But as we've ascended, other people have certainly ascended, right?"

Matt Rhule is entering year four at Nebraska, having notched back-to-back 7-6 campaigns. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One step for Nebraska; three steps for the big boys.

"Sometimes people ask me, 'Why didn't we do this? Why did we do that?' And there's a finite amount of dollars that are available," Rhule continued.

Rhule acknowledged that his job is not to complain. Instead, he has to "figure it out with whatever we have."

"But there are $40-50 million rosters in 2026 in college football," Rhule said.

Ohio State's 2025 roster was reportedly in the ballpark of $35 million. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Head coach for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers Curt Cignetti told CBS Sports last April that rosters were already in the $40 million neighborhood.

"There's five or six (programs) out there that have unlimited NIL resources," Cignetti said. "It's kind of scary for everybody else. Our little pot of gold (at Indiana) is pretty nice, but we're not at $40 million. Or $30 million. Or even $25 million."

More money each year means even with the boost for Rhule and company, those that have been in the College Football Playoff hunt already do the same and more with already larger budgets. Still, Rhule's answer continued with praise for someone who has helped Nebraska increase its arsenal instead of simply staying stagnant: athletics director Troy Dannen.

"We are grateful," Rhule said. "Troy's worked really hard. Troy Dannen's worked really hard to get us in a position where we're hopefully within striking distance of some of those other teams."

Troy Dannen has overseen a massive increase in funding for Nebraska Athletics in the era of revenue sharing and NIL. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"Striking distance" is a long way from the confidence Rhule had during the season. After signing his extension, he declared Nebraska would be able to get the players he wanted and pay what it took to do so.

"This'll be the first year we can do whatever we...we have the money now," Rhule said in October. "I can't complain anymore. We got what we need.

"In the previous couple years, I had to make a lot of hard decisions because we didn't have the money everyone else had."

That was an improvement from a couple of weeks prior, when the Penn State job had opened, and Rhule openly stumped for an increase in resources.

"In a world of $30 and $40 million rosters, which isn't going away, I'd like us to do the same thing," Rhule said. "There's sort of like a, 'Hey, that's not really the Nebraska way.' I'd like it to be. I'd like to invest. I'd like to be at the front of everything.

"We have a history here at being at the forefront in investing. I just don't want to stop that. I want to be the absolute best at it. I think we can be a perennial, one of the best teams in the country."

Matt Rhule has added more than a dozen transfers and flipped out multiple coaches in an effort to see Nebraska improve in year four. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

In the last two portal cycles, whether by choice or financial necessity, Nebraska has elected not to add an established running back, either as the starter or a high-level backup. Last year, it was certainly because of money.

"Some people paid more money than I had," Rhule said in the fall. "That’s the reality of it."

This year, the lack of a running back addition, which offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen pushed back on needing on Thursday, definitely came down to money.

"When you look at the portal—if you don't lose a ton of guys—there's only so much money you have to compensate the rest of it," Rhule said on Sports Nightly last month. "When we look at the running back room, we believe in those guys, and we're going to roll with them."

Head coach Matt Rhule meets with the media ahead of 2026 spring practices. | Kaleb Henry

"Only so much money" and "a finite amount of dollars" indicate that although Nebraska unquestionably has more money for NIL and revenue sharing, the latter of which is still in its first full year of implementation, there is still a chase for being truly competitive in that arena.

At the end of the day, as Rhule was asked if he had enough to do what he wanted, his answer was effectively a political no.

That doesn't mean the additions were from the bargain bin or that Nebraska can't take a step forward this fall, even if the record doesn't show it with a brutal slate ahead. It simply means the reality of college football today is that outrageously funded programs seem to keep printing money to outpace those trying to catch up.

"There is no limit on what some people are doing," Rhule said.

Matt Rhule weighs in on Nebraska football’s NIL resources and spending capabilities in the transfer portal. pic.twitter.com/SOX8ItOKwa
— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) February 19, 2026

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