People say that money is the root of all evil. The problem with that is that the bills themselves are not evil, it’s what people are willing to do to get it.
There is no greater example of that than what we’re seeing in college football today. After decades of longstanding traditions, the sport has shifted. Classic rivalries are a thing of the past, and fans have become a complete afterthought behind, you guessed it, money.
Just take a look at the conferences today. The Pac-12 has been reduced to ashes, the SEC has added more bluebloods with Texas and Oklahoma, the Big Ten took the three biggest programs off the West Coast, and the Big 12 and ACC took the leftovers from the Pac-12. You have schools from the West Coast in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which I didn’t think was possible years ago. Now, cross-country travel to play a team from your own conference is considered the new normal.
Changes off the field aren’t the only thing that has happened in college football. NIL (Name, image, and likeness) has completely changed the way schools acquire players. While high school recruiting is still crucial, it’s just as important to keep talent on your roster and bring in players through the transfer portal. And what is the best way to attract talent to your school? Money.
Texas Tech is one of the best examples of how money has changed the game. No disrespect to the city of Lubbock, but recruits aren’t exactly lining up to become a Red Raider. However, money can easily persuade someone to Texas Tech. In fact, Texas Tech has the number three transfer portal class for 2025 in the entire country. The next highest-ranked Big 12 school? Colorado at nineteen. You can say what you want about the Red Raiders, but they are putting their money where their mouth is.
Another shift that has happened on the field has been with the SEC. From 2006 to 2012, the Southeastern Conference won seven straight national championships, and it seemed like there was no end to their dominance.
However, from 2013 to 2024, the SEC won a total of six national titles, including a stretch from 2013 to 2016 where we saw just one national champion from the SEC, but three SEC teams played in the title game during that time. But the most significant change has happened within the last two seasons. The SEC went without a title and didn’t even have a team in the championship game.
From 2015 to 2022, the SEC had at least one team in the title game, and twice, they had two teams playing in the title game since the playoffs started with Alabama and Georgia in 2017 and 2021.
The only year when an SEC team didn’t make the title game in the playoff era was in the first season of the playoffs when Ohio State faced Oregon during the 2014 season. Now, we have seen back-to-back championships from the Big Ten with Michigan and Ohio State.
If you watch the championship game on Monday night between Ohio State and Notre Dame, then you should be familiar with each team’s starting quarterbacks, Will Howard and Riley Leonard. A year ago, both of these were playing at different schools. Howard was at Kansas State, while Leonard was at Duke. Of course, the opportunity to play at a blueblood school played a factor in their decision, but their wallets also got a lot fatter, too.
I am not saying the Big Ten is the new king of college football, but one could certainly make that argument. I will say is that the SEC reign of terror may be coming to an end thanks to the power of the almighty dollar. It’s no secret that Ohio State had over a 20-million-dollar payroll. They were the most talented team coming into the 2024 season because they paid the most money.
The point of all this just goes to show that no matter where you are in the country, the opportunity to turn your team into a winner is easier than ever before. Whether in Lubbock, Ames, Morgantown or anywhere else, the opportunities are endless if you are willing to open up your wallet.
