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Wisconsin Badgers' Big Ten rivals cashing in on 'unlimited NIL resources,' according to Curt Cignetti

We don't know exactly how much Wisconsin spends on NIL, but it's definitely less than a few of their bigger Big Ten rivals.
Lorin Cox|
Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Gabe Powers (36) tackles Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chimere Dike (13) during the NCAA football game at Camp Randall Stadium
Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Gabe Powers (36) tackles Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chimere Dike (13) during the NCAA football game at Camp Randall Stadium | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers are holding their own when it comes to recruiting, but they may be at a significant financial disadvantage compared to a few of their Big Ten rivals.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti wasn't afraid to call them out by name in an interview with CBS Sports.

"This is an unprecedented couple days, weeks, where everybody's waiting on this revenue share, and the five or six out there that have unlimited NIL resources, it's kind of scary for everybody else," Cignetti said. "Right now I understand that is Oregon, Ohio State, Texas... Texas Tech because of their oil money. I think Notre Dame's up there pretty good right now, too. Miami, of course."

He alleged that the likes of Ohio State and Oregon are spending upwards of $40 million on their college football rosters alone. That doesn't include millions more on basketball NIL deals.

Cignetti sees teams trying to cash in now before the upcoming NCAA settlement with the House of Representatives that could institute revenue sharing, roster limits and a salary cap for college football.

We don't know exactly how much Wisconsin and The Varsity Collective have spent on NIL deals for its players, but CIgnetti said Indiana isn't even breaking $25 million.

It's hard to imagine UW being anywhere close, either.

It shouldn't be much of a surprise then that Ohio State (and Notre Dame) are among the Top 5 highest ranked recruiting classes for 2026, and Oregon is near the top for the 2025 transfer portal class.

The hope is that more oversight and regulation in the future can help level the playing field for schools like Wisconsin, but for now, the Badgers may struggle to draw recruits away from some of their conference rivals who simply have more resources to work with.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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