Will money talk? College football showdowns begin new chapter of NIL era
NCAA leaders may not yet know how to navigate the “pay-for-play” era, but they sure do know how to market their sport. Week one of the college football season has arrived, and a slew of top-ten matchups prove why it has become such big business.
How much money are football players making?
The top teams with the biggest bankrolls and the brightest stars are cashing in on the popularity of the sport. Just how much, though, may be surprising.
With each school now allowed to pay athletes directly from its own pool of $20.5 million, the amount of money going to football players in the Power Four conferences is expected to double in 2025, according to the NIL marketplace and tech company Opendorse.
Last year, with endorsements from collectives and other commercial payments, football players in the major conferences made a total of $1 billion. This season, those payments are expected to reach $1.9 billion, with the revenue-sharing payments directly from schools accounting for $1.4 billion. The grand totals shoot up to $2.4 billion in 2026 and $2.6 billion in 2027.
Whether all those billions are worth it is up for debate, but consider the week one schedule of prime matchups with games that could alter the entire season’s trajectory and draw record viewership ratings.
What game tops the week one schedule?
Top-ranked Texas and third-ranked Ohio State will kick things off in Columbus at noon ET. The showdown is a rematch of their College Football Playoff semifinal in January, which the Buckeyes won, ultimately becoming the eventual national champion. These are also the top revenue-producing schools in the country, according to USA Today. Head coach Ryan Day knows a loss won’t ruin the season, but he’d rather have a feather for Brutus the Buckeye’s cap.
“I think it’s great for college football playing a game like this opening weekend,” Day said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sark [Steve Sarkisian], for his coaching staff, for the players. We’re excited to play these guys. It’s rare that you would. You kind of play someone like this towards the end of the season. But here we are.”
A pair of tigers will decide which “Death Valley” is more deserving, as fourth-ranked Clemson plays host to ninth-ranked LSU. Two veteran quarterbacks, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, will try to give their respective programs a leg up in the playoff race under the lights Saturday night.
“Very storied program,” Nussmeier said. “Obviously, they have a really cool environment there. So, I think for one, just embracing that opportunity to go into an arena like that, to a place like that, to try and silence the crowd, I guess you could say. That’s kind of your mindset when you’re playing a big road game.”
What are the other headliners?
All alone in the Sunday spotlight, sixth-ranked Notre Dame visits tenth-ranked Miami, or as some old-timers like to call it, Catholics vs. Convicts. Both teams are replacing star quarterbacks but have the money to restock. The Hurricanes paid former Georgia star Carson Beck more than $6 million to keep their playoff hopes intact. He’ll need to perform against last season’s playoff runner-up or face an uphill climb the rest of the way. Beck said he is trying to stay grounded and avoid all the pregame hype.
“They’re stout all across the board,” Beck said. “A very talented team with a great coach. And, like I said, it’s just another football game, right? Like that’s the motto. That’s the mindset, and another opportunity for us to compete. It’s the first game. Everyone’s super excited, super pumped, and we’re ready for the challenge.”
Those are three big headliners, but another game to keep an eye on this weekend takes place in Tallahassee, where No. 8 Alabama will take on unranked Florida State.
A stumble by the Crimson Tide in the season opener could put a big dent in their playoff hopes should the committee need a tiebreaker come December.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
