Which teams have the most valuable college football rosters heading into 2026 season?

Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd discuss Indiana’s pursuit of being the first 16-0 team ever in CFB, Miami’s odds of causing an upset, whether or not the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC, and how Alabama QB Ty Simpson will fare in the draft.

The new era of college football based around name, image and likeness payments has changed how rosters are built and which programs can compete at the top.

The Indiana Hoosiers came out of nowhere in 2024, reaching the College Football Playoff in Curt Cignetti's first year as head coach. Then, with some help on the NIL front, they brought in Fernando Mendoza through the transfer portal. Mendoza went on to win the Heisman Trophy, and the Hoosiers went 16-0 and won the National Championship. Just a few months after Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said undefeated teams were a thing of the past.

There are plenty of other examples: Texas Tech, with the support of billionaire Cody Campbell, built up one of the top defenses in the country and reached the playoff. NIL can dramatically change a program's fortunes overnight.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks on during warmups before the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

Spending more money on players can't guarantee anything. But there's a much stronger likelihood that more expensive rosters will generally lead to higher-quality teams. So as we rapidly approach the start of the 2026 college football season, looking at estimates of NIL spending by team carries a significant amount of weight. Which teams will dominate their conferences and make a run at the playoff? Or which may have to hope