Alabama football fans share one common perspective with most other SEC fans. When the Crimson Tide does not land a player, it must be because Alabama has been outbid. That perspective is probably correct in some cases.
Obtaining precise college football player budget numbers is impossible. There is too much murkiness about NIL funds. There is speculation that only about half of total NIL dollars are being submitted to the College Sports Commission.
One source, nil-ncaa.com, through the work of CPA Patrick O'Rourke, has compiled a detailed list of spending for every Power Four football program. O'Rourke uses multiple sources to estimate total NIL funds rather than solely the numbers reported by the College Sports Commission.
Alabama Football at No. 8 across all FBS teams
According to O'Rourke's calculations, the Alabama Crimson Tide's player payroll budget is the eighth-highest among Power Four teams at $36.5 million for the 2026 season. The three SEC programs outspending Alabama are Texas ($46.5 million), LSU ($41 million), and Texas A&M ($36.8 million).
Eleven SEC football programs are in the top 20 of highest player payroll budgets among all Power Four teams. Others in the top 20 are: No. 9 Georgia ($35.2 million), No. 11 Tennessee ($33.7 million), No. 14 Ole Miss ($31.8 million), No. 15 Oklahoma ($31.5 million), No. 17 Auburn ($28.9 million), No. 18 Florida ($28.5 million), and No. 20 Missouri ($27.5 million).
The SEC football player payroll budgets outside the top 20 are: No. 22 South Carolina ($27.4 million), No. 26 Vanderbilt ($25.5 million), No. 31 Arkansas ($23.9 million), and Mississippi State ($22.9 million).
Foremost in the minds of college football fans is how the range of money spent on players impacts game results. No one knows the answer. Another question is whether the $40 million-plus programs, Texas, Oregon, LSU, and Ohio State, have an unfair advantage. The fans of Boston College, with BC's No. 68 $18..8 million payroll, have good reason to cry foul.
If we assume that Patrick O'Rourke's work is credible, maybe it is time for Alabama Crimson Tide fans to quit worrying about how much Kalen DeBoer can spend.
A closing point is that O'Rourke does not believe that $50 million and $60 million player-payroll claims are valid.
Note: In the context of this post, 'player payroll' is used to mean the total of school revenue share and all NIL payments to players.
Add us as a preferred source on Google