Texas Tech Projected to Spend $55M on NIL, Athletics in 2024

Notre Dame holds a competitive historical record against SEC football teams, leading the overall series against several programs such as Alabama and LSU, with future matchups scheduled against Alabama and Arkansas. ESPN's latest projections for the 2025 and 2026 college football seasons rank Texas as the No. 1 program, led by star quarterback Arch Manning, followed closely by Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, and Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the UNLV football program has become notably intriguing under new head coach Dan Mullen, who has aggressively utilized the transfer portal to assemble a talented roster, aiming to sustain and build upon recent success. In a landmark shift for college athletics, the NCAA’s 119-year amateurism model ended with a $2.8 billion settlement allowing schools to pay players directly, a change exemplified by Texas Tech's football program potentially becoming the highest-paying college athletics program with an estimated $55 million expenditure combining revenue sharing and NIL deals. This new financial model has thrust Texas Tech into the national spotlight, revealing the growing influence and complexity of NIL collectives in shaping college football's future landscape.