How much does it cost to buy the resources necessary to win a national championship? If you ask the two-time reigning champion Georgia Bulldogs, the answer is $16,518,859. The Bulldogs spent that much between 2017-22 on recruiting expenses, which was more than $5 million more than any other program in the country over the same period, according to analysis of public records obtained by USA Today for Power Five schools. The gap between Georgia and No. 2 spender Alabama almost matches the difference between Alabama and Nebraska.
Recruiting budgets can cover a wide variety of expenses during the process, including vast recruiting departments, transportation, visits and much more. While spending does not guarantee success, seven of the last eight titles were won by schools in the top three in recruiting spending: Georgia, Alabama and Clemson.
It’s worth noting there was a downswing in spending in 2021 — for obvious reasons. The pandemic severely limited recruiting expenses, but it bounced back in a major way in 2022 with record spending across the board. Additionally, schools compile these numbers differently, which impacts comparison. Still, the bottom-line number gives us a baseline comparison.
Private schools were not included in USA Today’s analysis as they are not subject to records requests. Additionally, data could not be found for Pittsburgh, which is not subject to FOIA requests under Pennsylvania law.
ACC
Clemson
$3,158,941
$1,661,691
North Carolina
$1,306,117
$856,072
Georgia Tech
$1,240,706
$763,426
Louisville
$1,019,027
$659,819
Virginia
$994,851
$641,396
Florida State
$899,308
$1,257,758
Virginia Tech
$898,675
$623,166
NC State
$632,696
$538,879
If you want to be the best, you have to spend like the best. Clemson more than doubles any other…
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