How Many $40 Million Rosters Are There in College Football in 2026?

The Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era has brought a major shift to college football, giving programs new ways to compensate players and build their rosters. This new era has brought some good and some bad to the sport.

The good is it allows players to be compensated instead of just a program. The bad is there are no guidelines or a salary cap. Meaning the teams that can spend the most have a significant advantage over the teams who are limited.

As spending becomes a major part of roster construction, CBS Sports surveyed more than 50 industry sources to figure out the programs believed to have the most expensive rosters in 2026.

While they don't have exact numbers because it doesn't have to be reported, they've come away believing that seven teams spent over $40 million on their rosters this season. Here are those seven teams:

LSU Tigers

Lane Kiffin's arrival from Ole Miss triggered a major spending spree, according to CBS Sports, with the "Portal King" bringing in several high-profile transfers. The report states that offensive tackle Jordan Seaton is earning more than $4 million annually.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal speaks to the media. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Miami Hurricanes are also one of the big spenders. Miami's 2026 roster spending is reportedly well into the $40 million range, with quarterback Darian Mensah accounting for a sizable portion of that total after leaving the Duke Blue Devils. The Hurricanes are also paying seven-figure salaries to players including EDGE Damon Wilson, wide receiver Malachi Toney and freshman offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are a little different. A lot of teams are spending big due to the transfer portal, but Notre Dame has such high academic requirements that their money is mostly going toward retaining players and adding talent through the high school ranks. The report cites a Big Ten general manager who said the Fighting Irish are spending heavily on their high school recruiting class, which ranks No. 2 in the country.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State has always been near the top. It was rumored that the Buckeyes spent nearly $20 million when they won in 2014, but now the report says the roster spending has continued to climb, with quarterback Julian Sayin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson Jr. among the high-profile players on the roster.

Oregon Ducks

Oregon Football head coach Dan Lanning speaks during Big Ten Media Days. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Oregon Ducks are another team often mentioned among the big spenders. The report highlights quarterbacks Dante Moore and Dylan Raiola, along with a defense featuring players such as Koi Perich. An SEC front-office staffer told CBS Sports that Oregon and Miami have the financial resources to force other programs to rely more heavily on talent evaluation. A big reason for that is Oregon having the help of alumnus and Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

Texas Longhorns

Despite Arch Manning reportedly taking a smaller share of Texas' revenue-sharing money, CBS Sports reports that the Longhorns continue to invest heavily in their roster. The report points to multi-million-dollar transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman, along with several projected first-round picks, like offensive tackle Trevor Goosby, and highly paid running backs from the transfer portal.

Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies are a little trickier. The report says that the Aggies' 2026 roster spending is in the upper-$30 million range, with incentives potentially pushing it into the $40 million range. The report notes that Texas A&M has several seven-figure players across the offense and defense.

There is a major common thread between six of these seven programs. Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M all made the College Football Playoff at least once in the last two seasons. LSU is the lone team that hasn't, but new head coach Lane Kiffin did just lead the Ole Miss Rebels to the CFP last year. So, they are going all in, hoping he has what it takes to get them back to the playoff for the first time since 2019.

These numbers show just how much college football is changing. While the exact roster costs aren't known, as many player agreements remain private, the spending at these seven programs shows how much financial resources now factor into building a championship contender.

Add us as a preferred source on Google