The Athletic Roster Project Benchmark

Power 4 College Football 2026 Roster Spend Explorer

"Eleven of the top 20 spenders are in the SEC. 'This is why the Playoff is expanding.'" — The Athletic Roster Project
SEC Top-20 Dominance: 11 of Top 20
Total Power 4 Analyzed: 68 Schools
Current Conf Average: $18.5M
Selected Playoff Tier: Contender
Conference Spend Distributions

SEC Spending Concentration

55.0%
of the top 20 roster budgets in college football belong to SEC programs, creating substantial competitive depth ahead of the expanded playoff.
Roster Budget Shift Simulator (Georgia)
Offense Roster Share 45%
Defense Roster Share 45%
NIL & Retention Reserve 10%
Offense Spend
$10.08M
Defense Spend
$10.08M
Reserve Pool
$2.24M
Georgia SEC
Overall Rank
#2 in Power 4
Total Roster Spend
$22.4M
Conf Difference
+$3.9M
Top-20 Status
Verified Top 20
Playoff Outlook
Contender
Rank ↕ Program ↕ Conference ↕ 2026 Roster Spend ↕ Playoff Status ↕
Power 4 roster spend model updated successfully. 11 of top 20 spenders verified in SEC. Live Synced
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