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How long until we see a $100 million roster in college football?
TL;DR
College football rosters are approaching $100 million, with reports of multiple teams spending over $60 million this year. Alabama's general manager, Courtney Morgan, highlighted that many teams are investing significantly to compete for championships.
Key points
- College football rosters are nearing $100 million in costs.
- Multiple teams are reportedly spending over $60 million this year.
- Alabama's general manager highlighted the rising expenditures for championship rosters.
Alabama Crimson Tide
A couple of years ago, rumors of a $20 million roster in college football started to swirl, with many thinking that in order to compete for a national championship, that's what it would cost to build a roster that would get across the finish line.
Not much later, rumors of a $40 million roster started to arise. Now? We're starting to get into the conversation about triple digits.
While we aren't quite at the $100 million mark for college rosters just yet in 2026, the number continues to rise, and there are many, like On3's Josh Pate, who think that there are multiple $60 million rosters in the landscape this year. On top of that, there is a belief that a $100 million roster is not far off.
While it's easy to speculate about numbers like that, the conversation was started by someone who is in the middle of it all, Alabama Crimson Tide general manager Courtney Morgan. Earlier this week, Morgan went on record and said that many teams are spending more than $40 million this year in order to build what they hope is a championship-winning roster.
"You never really know what other schools are spending," Morgan said. "You kind of do the math in your own head about what other schools and competition are doing. It's probably more than $40 million, but you will never know."
At this point, it has become an arms race in college football, much like we saw with athletic facilities over the last two decades. Every team wanted to make a bigger and better facility to help with recruiting and building a roster. Now, with the introduction of NIL, you can use that money in new ways, giving it to players through NIL and building a roster that way.
So while we may have conversations about $40 million rosters this year, it will be $50 or $60 million next year. After that, $80 million.
By 2030, will there be a $100 million roster out there? If this current trend continues, it's not hard to imagine.
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Q&A
What is the current estimated cost of college football rosters in 2026?
The estimated cost of college football rosters is approaching $100 million, with many teams reportedly spending over $60 million this year.
Who mentioned the rising costs of college football rosters?
Alabama Crimson Tide general manager Courtney Morgan discussed the increasing expenditures for college football rosters, stating many teams are spending more than $40 million.
How has the perception of college football roster costs changed over the years?
The perception has evolved from initial discussions of $20 million rosters to $40 million, and now to the possibility of $100 million rosters as teams invest heavily to compete for championships.
