Money has always been a key factor in determining the success of a college football program. That importance has gained even more emphasis in the current landscape of the sport. Ohio State’s run to the national championship came on the back of getting talent through the portal. At the same time, the program also opened accounts for other expenses.

As per a report by Matt Brown of Extra Points, the Buckeyes’ expenses for FY25 increased from $78,586,384 in FY24 to an eye-popping $92,359,300. FY25 covers the season in which Ohio State won the national championship. On the other hand, Alabama’s expenses decreased from $113,835,360 in FY24 to $82,859,480 in FY25, a 27.20% decrease.

Keep in mind that these figures do not include athlete-related compensation such as NIL deals, House settlement payments, or direct player payroll. These numbers stem from coaching and staff salaries, buyout and severance packages, recruiting operations, team travel, meals, software and analytics expenses, guarantee games, facility-related costs, and day-to-day program operations.

The increase in Ohio State’s expenses can be explained when we look at the events before the 2024 season. Ryan Day hired Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on a $2 million/year contract to replace Bill O’Brien, who left for Boston College. But that wasn’t all. Since Kelly was set to make more than O’Brien, other assistants also got raises.

Jim Knowles’ salary increases to $2.2 million after a $243,000 raise. Even DL coach Larry Johnson and secondary coach Tim Walton got raises of $233,010 and $400,000, respectively. In total, Ohio State’s football assistants made $11.43 million that year, the highest amount at the time. This doesn’t include the $1.5 million the Buckeyes paid UCLA to secure Kelly’s release from his contract with the Bruins.

The financial figures also revealed a major shift in expenditure at both Penn State and Florida State. The two programs surged past Alabama in football operating expenses for FY25. Penn State saw its spending climb dramatically from $64,463,970 to $89,186,987, while Florida State jumped from $61,109,773 to $85,376,878.

The Nittany Lions’ jump in expenses could be tied to the renovation of Beaver Stadium. Similarly, the Noles also carried out renovations at Doak Campbell Stadium. And when it comes to Alabama’s drop, it was all because of a once-in-a-generation transition.

The Nick Saban factor in Alabama’s figures

Nick Saban gave college football a shock when he decided to hang up his boots in January 2024 after losing to Michigan in the semifinal of the playoffs. The effects of that retirement were evident in FY24 figures. The Crimson Tide spent $47.4 million on coaching expenses for the financial year ending June 30, 2024.

These figures included the buyout Alabama paid to Washington to get Kalen DeBoer. It also included the coaching expenses incurred in hiring a new head coach and assembling his staff. It was a rare instance because in FY25, the coaching expenses dropped from $47.4 million to $25.2 million. We saw a similar drop in overall financial figures from FY25.

The numbers may rise in the next few fiscal years as the program has handed a contract extension to Kalen DeBoer. He is set to earn $12.5 million per year under his new deal, making him the third highest-paid coach in college football.

Furthermore, the expenses and rankings of teams will look entirely different once we take into account the money spent on players. While programs like Ohio State and Texas will still dominate the field, the likes of Oregon, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M will also feature at the top.