NCAA Football Roster Management, Part 1: Quick Takes

Q: What is NIL in NCAA Football and how does it affect roster management?

NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness, allowing athletes to profit from their personal brand, which complicates roster management due to varying revenue distributions.

Q: How are shared revenue funds distributed among NCAA Football players?

Shared revenue funds are typically distributed based on factors like player performance, marketability, and team contributions, but specific methods can vary by institution.

Q: What are the implications of NIL distribution for college football teams?

NIL distribution can lead to disparities in player compensation, affecting recruitment strategies and team dynamics as players seek the best financial opportunities.

Q: Who is ProveIt and what is their role in this NCAA Football series?

ProveIt is a longtime reader and commenter contributing a four-part series on roster management, revenue sharing, and NIL distribution in college football.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 31: Bryce Underwood #19 of the Michigan Wolverines warms up before the 2025 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and Michigan Wolverines at Camping World Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

How do you distribute NIL and shared revenue funds in a modern NCAA Football roster?

Note: this is the first in a four-part series from longtime OTE reader and commenter ProveIt on roster management, revenue sharing, and NIL distribution in our new era of college football. One of these will run every couple days for the next week or two. I’m very grateful to ProveIt for helping us out in the doldrum months.

If YOU’D like to have articles like this published, feel free to email them to minnesotawildcat at gmail dot com — I may have a little back-and-forth if needed, but I’ll get them polished up and published here. And, if you’re interested in writing more full-time for OTE, please feel free to contact me at that same email. —MNW

ESPN investigated P4 player compensation by position:

College football 2025: How much does each position cost?

It is a small sampling of 20 P4 agents and programs. These only provide ranges of what programs say they will typically offer, and what agents claim they expect to get for their clients. It ignores outliers like Michigan QB Bryce Underwood and OSU’s transfer portal RB Quinshon Judkins.

Statements made on the record by agents tend to exaggerate the compensation to push the market up. Public statements by programs lowball the amounts to prevent locker room animosity. The article seems to place more weight on the program’s comments than those of agents.

Little information is available on specific amounts. These numbers are crude, but they’re the best reference I’ve seen so far.

Quick Takes

These totals would be 1 string (I set for 2 RBs, 3 WRs, and 3 CBs), the total roster would be more.

Initially this seemed in-line. OSU and Texas were reported to have spent about $40 million, Bielema stated large programs are spending $35-40 million, about enough for a high and average cost player at each position.

OSU’s reported $20 million 2024 Natty roster will soon be viewed as a bargain from days gone by, expect $30-$40 million to become the norm for top tier programs, about $15 million from shared revenue, $15-25 million from NIL.

I expect $20 to $25 million will be needed to remain competitive, based on a roster 1 deep with average players, and 1 deep with lower paid players. About $15 million will come from revenue sharing, leaving about $5-$10 million in NIL. This is well within P4 program budgets and NIL funds, but outside most G6.

NIL and shared revenue have made recruiting MORE important. Programs report it is much cheaper to retain a player than attract a player of the same quality from the portal. Most top tier programs use the portal to strengthen and fill gaps in their roster (gaps often created by their own recruits entering the portal). In the long term, replacing recruiting with the portal is probably not sustainable.

I would think it is hard to establish a program culture if your starters are just passing through to collect a check, and recruits come to believe they have little hope of becoming starters.

NIL contracts are including stiff penalties for leaving the program, making it difficult for highly recruited/compensated players to move in the portal without taking a financial loss.

It still takes more than a pile of money. QB Altmyer turned down inquiries so he could finish his career at Illinois, never went to the program asking for more NIL. A slew of 2024 and 2025 OSU players noted they were offered more to transfer. OSU QB Sayin transferred almost immediately after Saban retired, QB Will Howard would have still left K. State if there was no NIL. The coaching staff, reputation for player development and placing players in the NFL, program culture, chances of becoming a starter, who the player grew up following, program success, and more all play a factor. If your program is behind, be realistic – you program still couldn’t attract the players top teams do if you matched their offers.

These values provide a glimpse of the coaches’ mindset. QB, OT, and DE being at the top reflect how a strong front and QB makes up for less talent elsewhere.

I believe RB devaluation is a mistake – unlike the NFL, the slower speed and LB size at the college level keeps the RB differential notable.
Players often switch between S and CB, here they’re essentially valued the same.
TE being low isn’t surprising; they are typically only featured receivers when programs are lacking weapons at other skill positions.

The quantity of players by position entering the portal has a huge impact. WR gets a boost because these players are more likely to enter the portal. LB dropping to the bottom is believed to be the result of few top tier LBs entering the portal, decreasing market pressure to pay more to the current roster.

Players and agents have caught on. If a P4 program offers $100-something thousand, they know the program doesn’t expect them to become a starter; they’re being recruited for depth.

Michigan’s QB Bryce Underwood is reported to have gotten $12.5 million for 4 years. This might not be as far over the top as we thought with programs saying they’ll typically pay up to $8 million (outliers can expect more). If he excels, it will be cited as a brilliant pre-emptive move. If he doesn’t develop into an NFL 1st round pick, for years it will become 1 of many cautionary tales of overpaying an unproven prospect.