Steven A

How do College Football Playoff teams compare financially? The gap can be tens of millions. This year’s College Football Playoff reflects the adage that you get what you pay for. The 12-team field includes the four teams with the largest football budgets, the nation’s two highest-paid coaches and three of the four highest-paid general managers. It also sets up a potential quarterfinal matchup where one head coach makes more than his competitor’s entire recent football budget. A few standard financial disclaimers: Different programs run their numbers differently. Budgets change yearly, and some figures are murky or missing, especially regarding private schools and NIL. Even with those caveats, we can still get a broad sense of how the 12 CFP contenders stack up against one another financially. How much CFP teams spend . . . Alabama is the highest spender at $112.2m. Texas A&M ($82.2m) Ohio State ($78.6m) Miami ($78.1m) Georgia ($68.9m) Oklahoma ($65.8m) Indiana ($61.3m) Ole Miss ($57.1m) Oregon ($53.9m) Texas Tech ($34.4m) James Madison ($15.9m) and Tulane ($13m). The first-round Texas A&M-Miami game looks even bigger through this lens, doesn’t it? Texas Tech’s figure is the lowest of the Power 4 teams here but about average in the Big 12; 11 of the conference’s members spent in the $30 million to $40 million range that year. The gap between Alabama and Tulane is large, but maybe not this large. We’ll make our wonky explanation as brief as possible: We’re using the U.S. Department of Education database because it’s the only tool that includes every public and private school (except service academies). However, reporting lags behind, so the most complete numbers are from 2023-24. Alabama’s figures were exceptionally high that year, and Tulane’s figures were exceptionally low. Fortunately, the Green Wave and Crimson Tide have both posted more recent federal reports. Alabama reported $78.5 million in expenses in 2024-25. Tulane reported $22.7 million, which was still behind South Florida ($33.4 million) in the American Conference. The CFP revenue gap . . . Alabama is the highest earner at $138.7m. Georgia ($133.7m) Oklahoma ($124.9m) Texas A&M ($122.4m) Ohio State ($111.6m) Oregon ($109.2m) Miami ($78.1m) Ole Miss ($75.3m) Texas Tech ($62.3m) Indiana ($61.3m) James Madison ($15.9m) and Tulane ($6.9m). Again, Tulane’s figure is abnormally low and ahead of only Kennesaw State ($8.3 million) nationally. But the Green Wave’s most recent report listed football revenue at $24 million. Ohio State’s football income is also much larger ($160.5 million in its latest report). The No. 1 program was Texas at just north of $200 million. I’m sure that’ll make the Longhorns feel great knowing the Aggies are in the first round. Another rivalry aspect: Indiana ranked one spot below Purdue ($61.6 million). Bottom line, as the sec likes to tout "It just costs more"

Here is a cut and paste article I get free with an email address. Not behind their pay wall . . . An especially anxious opening round The initial part of any tournament is emotionally fraught. All that jockeying just to make it into the field. (Plus lobbying, in sports that are especially fraught.) A fired-up home crowd, rewarded by success and desperate for more. (We now have home crowds! Briefly.) The obvious stakes: Crush it, or hit the couch. This year's College Football Playoff starts with especially big feelings all around. Among the power-conference reps, there's no just-happy-to-be-here fan base like last year's Arizona State, Indiana or SMU. At the time, Ryan Day was the lightning rod for all postseason angst. In two of this year's first-round games, the losing team will suffer such psychic damage in front of 10 million pairs of eyeballs that we'll wonder whether it might just be healthier to go hide at the Citrus Bowl instead. (The winning fans, meanwhile, will begrudgingly admit that their unique blend of demons and/or rich-kid problems has been momentarily held at bay.) Imagine being Texas A&M. After reaching 11-0 with a top-two seed in sight and building a 10-3 lead over the nemesis Longhorns, A&M instead melted down, missed on an SEC title shot and is now just a 3.5-point BetMGM favorite against No. 10 Miami. Now imagine losing this game. At home. Perpetually nervous Aggie fans would never trust their team ever again. At the same time, imagine Miami losing. The ACC, blanked in the 12-team Playoff for the second time. No wins in the four-team era after 2019. Granted, that would just add to the ever-simmering panic known as Being The ACC. For the Canes themselves, a road loss to a team with comparable talent would only fuel frustrations about Mario Cristobal's losses to teams with less. The night before that game, either No. 8 Oklahoma (-1.5) beats No. 9 Alabama and we all trade confident fanfic about Kalen DeBoer wanting to leave — or Bama wins, and we just keep doing that anyway. Sure, maybe he does! I haven't had a chance to ask. Regardless, Ralph Russo ranks Nick Saban's successor as the Playoff coach doing the most sweating. (The Sooners are by far the least grumpy team among these four, but you know what'd change that? Becoming the first team to ever lose an FBS Playoff game at home, probably while scoring like 11 points despite having brought in a whole new offense in the offseason.) In the other two first-round games, teams from zillion-dollar conferences host three-score underdogs with seemingly nothing to lose, seeing as the little guys are already set to lose their head coaches as soon as their seasons end. But assuming Ole Miss and Oregon win against Tulane and JMU, we'll endure a repeat of last year's griping about early-round blowouts, this time targeting small conferences personally. Two striving programs, carrying banners for their schools while staring up at behemoths? Intense enough already. But in college football, where every outcome must serve as a referendum on the state of whatever, loud voices will also declare Tulane and JMU responsible for the respectability of every other university outside the Power 4 as well. Lot to ask. Then again, if a big upset happens, we'll have the emotional catastrophe of the season. Especially if it's an Oregon that also got embarrassed in its Playoff debut last year (against Ohio State) and still doesn't have a title, despite all those investments. Or if it's ... good heavens ... an Ole Miss that suddenly looks like it badly needed Lane Kiffin all along. Oh, and in the next round, a No. 4 Texas Tech loss would draw lots of chortling about new-money narratives, No. 1 Indiana risks squandering by far the greatest moment in program history and ... well, whenever No. 3 Georgia or No. 2 Ohio State end up with any record besides 15-0, it's a national emergency. Also, losses by Oregon or Ole Miss would hit almost as hard in that round, since they retroactively wouldn't get any credit for having beaten a G5 in Round 1. No pressure!

Yes, the season is a success. 11- 1 with nail biters vs Penn St. and Iowa, plus closeness vs ewe dub. Exciting football. But we need unmitigated success! SCO 🦆s

Didn't realize Kirby Moore was Kellen's brother. New Washington State coach makes 'Mountain West' blunder He may be right about where he is coaching sooner rather than later.

I agree Darren. "Four more" should be the mantra now. Agreed, JMU should be Liberty 2.0. TT, they are like sc, Iowa, ewe dub. Games we shouldn't lose and so far Dan has held serve since season 2. Semi, I hope it is Cig and frigid inside Mercedes Benz stadium for the serving of revenge. Natty, let someone else leave in the bride's maid outfit, my closet is full enough.

Works for me as long as we wear visiting unis three other times AND bring home The Bling.

osu leads with 5 possible first rounders. JMU has a 7th rounder, WR DeGenarro. Other possible matchups for OBD: TT = 1, edge Bailey; Indy = 1 Mendoza (QB); 'Bama 3 = Ty Simpson (QB), Bernard (WR) & Proctor (OL, TE, FB); Okla 0. 2026 NFL draft tiers for every College Football Playoff team - ESPN

It seems they did quite good considering there was only one player left from 2024!!! Coaching changes will do that. Hopefully, this will turn out like Lombardi and softball. Oregon Volleyball 2025 Season Review | Addicted To Quack

ESPN names incoming TE Harrison most impactful recruit. TE Kendre Harrison named ESPN's most impactful 2026 recruit for Ducks

5 JMU players to watch Know the Foe: Five James Madison Dukes players to know

JMU from the defensive side Oregon Defense Breaks Down the James Madison Challenge Ahead of Playoff Opener

For Beavs and ewe dub, that means a trophy.

So there is a chance we see Bryant and Moore this season. Oregon Ducks hopeful to see Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr., for CFP

I think the analytics should change for the playoff bowls. Wins should count double since everyone except the National Champs will have an L. So, a win followed by a loss means a .500 record. Whereas ewe dub earned a 1000 record. Too bad the SEedingChumps can't lose them all since there is an SEC matchup so one team has to get a W.

What a self-centered piece of (your choice of words here). Maybe he should take a page from McCaffery's and Gebhart's playbook! Diego Pavia Ripped Heisman Voters After Finishing Second Behind Fernando Mendoza I think his NFL future looks similar to Manzel's.

My selfish reason for this also is that I am DVRing the game. I will only watch it if ewe dub loses. Otherwise, it is a waste of time.

If Novosad and/or Moga enter the portal, Dan will probably go fishing regardless. No harm in bringing in a good backup if Dante stays, or possible replacement if he leaves. Question is, does someone else want to play the Dante game of a possible 1-year back-up role? Me, I've got enough to worry about in regard to the coal haul that I will probably receive in a couple of weeks.

Maybe, maybe NOT!!! On that we can all agree. SCO Ducks

I don't see that happening in "this world" as word would get out. I think Dan is fine with anyone, coach or player, seeking what they perceive as a better opportunity.

And now the defense. Football: Defensive Front Recruits | Addicted To Quack

An in depth look as some of the '26 class on offense. Football: Offensive Front Recruits | Addicted To Quack

Good for him. Just leave all the players behind. Oregon Ducks' assistant OL coach Cutter Leftwich hired by Kentucky

Well, the numbers are starting to come in. I wonder how this affects Utah's potential deal. Big 12 nearing private capital deal that could raise up to $500 million - Yahoo Sports Only a matter of time before the BIG 2 enter the bidding wars.

The woods are damn close in Eugene.

Duke Dukes Ducks! Why are we playing the Dukes? Due to Duke upsetting Virginia.