If you want to understand just how far college football has drifted from its old-school roots, don’t start with NIL deals or transfer portal chaos. Start on the runway because in 2025, while fans argued about culture and loyalty, Alabama was busy burning jet fuel. 

According to public records obtained by Front Office Sports, Alabama led the entire country in private aviation, spending a jaw-dropping $1,235,418 on private jet travel. This isn’t reckless spending as these trips were strictly for recruiting, portal movement, and program operations. It shows how far powerhouses are willing to go to secure talent far and wide. 

Under Kalen DeBoer, Alabama is trying to outpace modern recruiting. His contract alone includes 30 hours of private flight time annually for personal use, a perk that tells you everything about how big-time this job has become. And while the report didn’t specify how much of that he used, the bigger picture shows this is a program operating at cruising altitude while others are still boarding.

Last season, Alabama finished with an 11-4 season including a CFP appearance. For the 2026 class, they secured the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, featuring 27 commits and four 5-stars. The Tide also found success in the portal as they hauled in a top-20 rank with 17 incoming players. So, that $1.2 million private jet investment paid off. 

Zoom calls are becoming increasingly common but it’s always a face-to-face connection that builds trust and results. Alabama made sure they showed up for their targets. And private jets made that easy for a coach who’s visiting a 5-star DL in Texas one day, a Georgia WR the next morning, and a meeting with a transfer player back in Tuscaloosa by nightfall. So what did Kalen DeBoer gain from his expensive flights?

Alabama was able to sign some elite players in the 2026 class headlined by QB Jett Thomalla and No. 1 RB EJ Crowell. The Tide also added WR Aubrey Walker and ATH Amari Sabb, trailing behind only USC in the national rankings. And they’re already building for 2027, with a recent commitment from TE Oakley Keega, the fourth signees of the class. And as far as the private jet investment goes, the rest of college football is trying to keep up.

Kalen DeBoer and Alabama topped CFB schools  

Among nearly 50 programs that responded to the records request, Kalen DeBoer‘s Alabama sat comfortably at No. 1. But they weren’t alone in opening the checkbook. Right behind them is Nebraska dropping $1.136 million while Michigan followed at $1.078 million. Then the SEC elites enter the race with Texas A&M coming in at $925,911 while Texas rounds up the top five with $817,898. 

The Aggies, in particular, offered a rare peek behind the curtain logging 39 private jet trips in 2025. Fifteen were tied to recruiting or official business. The other 24 were tagged as personal use for head coach Mike Elko, costing nearly $493,000. Meanwhile, Steve Sarkisian used his 20 allotted hours at Texas for trips to California and Atlanta.

And then there’s the outlier. Indiana had a perfect 16-0 season. Many would have expected the national champions to be high among that list. But shocker, they spent just $42,200 on private jets. Even so, that might not last as head coach Curt Cignetti’s updated deal now includes 75 hours of annual private flight time because eventually, even the exceptions have to adapt.