How much do college football players make? Find out how much college players earn playing American football

How much do college football players make? Find out how much college players earn playing American football

Kevin Omuya
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:28 PM

How much do college football players make? According to NCAA regulations, students could only use their fame for financial advantage. Recent regulatory changes have enabled many collegiate athletes to attempt to gain cash on their likeness through sponsorships and social media, even though there were many winks and nudges.

How much do college football players make?
Teams line up for a play during the Reese's Senior Bowl American team practice session on February 1, 2023, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Photo: Michael Wade
Source: Getty Images

With recent changes, footballers now have a viable means of financial support. Even though the NCAA's new sponsorship policies have been generally well-received, many student-athletes have still needed help to turn a profit in the past couple of seasons.

In light of a Supreme Court ruling, the NCAA has relaxed its rules to allow all student-athletes to profit from the names, images and likenesses (NIL). That is to say; they can now negotiate lucrative endorsement deals and make cameo appearances in commercials.

How much NIL money do college football players make?

How much do college football players make a season?
D. Edwards #30 of the Georgia Bulldogs is stopped by Banks #19 and Horton #98 of the TCU Horned Frogs at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023, in Inglewood, California. Photo: Steve Limentani
Source: Getty Images

Although direct payments to students are prohibited under the NIL, the league allows its most famous athletes to profit. These athletes with big online followings can negotiate billboard deals.

However, the athletes that make collegiate sports possible should be compensated financially. Even though many athletes receive full scholarships, whether they should be paid has become more prominent in the 21st century.

How much do college football players make now?

In a first-of-its-type study, researchers at Ohio State University have attempted to quantify the financial impact that individual footballers have on their schools' football programs. They determined that one great player with a five-star ranking brings in an annual average of $650,000 for his institution.

How much do college football players make a season?

How much do college football players make per game?
Stetson Bennett, #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs, reacts with brother Luke Bennett, #29, against the TCU Horned Frogs at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2023, in Inglewood, California. Photo: Kevin C. Cox
Source: Getty Images

The financial potential of students' football is enormous. It is common for Division I games and rivalries to draw hundreds of millions of dollars, tens of thousands of roaring spectators, and massive television audiences. The highest-profile Division I college football programs earn over $100 million annually.

For quite some time, high school football recruits were promised a full tuition waiver to play at the university level. Nonetheless, many student-athletes and player advocacy groups have felt wronged over the years since collegiate sports programs have brought in so much money for schools while giving back so little. It is common knowledge that the primary motivation for many athletic scholarships is to encourage top performance on the field rather than to promote academic achievement.

In particular, students' football generates enormous amounts of money, enough to help fund many of the schools' other athletics departments. The trend continues even within football, where the top players receive a disproportionate share of the expected advertising expenditure.

How much do college football players make a year?

How much do college football players make a year?
Mark Gronowski #11 of the South Dakota State runs for a touchdown against the North Dakota State Bison Jackrabbits at Toyota Stadium on January 8, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. Photo: Justin Tafoya
Source: Getty Images

In a first-of-its-type study, researchers at Ohio State University have attempted to quantify the financial impact that individual football players have on their schools' football programs. They determined that one great player with a five-star ranking brings in an annual average of $650,000 for his institution.

How much money do college football players make?

According to Rivals' rankings, a popular recruiting and ranking news outlet for school sports, the prospective earnings of a fictional player were determined for this study. A five-star athlete can bring in $6.5 million per year for their school, whereas a four-star player typically brings in $3.5 million. At the same time, a three-star player can add an extra $150,000 to a school's coffers.

However, the data demonstrated how fast a poor athlete can become a financial burden for his institution. The average cost to a university for a two-star recruit is around $13,000.

How much do college football players make per game?

How much do college football players make with NIL?
USC Trojans defensive end Solomon Tuliaupupu (58) Vs Tulane Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt (7) on January 2, 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Photo: Andrew Dieb
Source: Getty Images

Not all schools are created equal when playing football at the collegiate level. The best high school players typically have the most interest in playing for national powerhouses like Alabama or Ohio State. Researchers still anticipated that top players would bring in roughly $200,000 in revenue for such colleges.

How much do college football players make with NIL?

Although most student-athletes earn less than $10,000 per year via NIL partnerships, there are examples of far higher earnings. Some students pocket far higher profits.

Do college football players get paid?

Their schools do not compensate them, but they can accept donations from fans, sign endorsement deals, and receive presents from booster clubs. Any collegiate athlete, from the Heisman Trophy winner in football to the champion of a small-college wrestling team, can make money while playing their sport.

Who is the highest-paid college football player?

How much do college football players make now?
Ohio State Buckeyes place kicker Noah Ruggles (95) misses a potential goal against the Georgia Bulldogs on December 31, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Joe Robbins
Source: Getty Images

Bryce Young has the record for the highest salary among collegiate football players. As of right now, he is Alabama's starting quarterback.

How do college athletes make money?

Players can legally capitalise on their likenesses, names, and photographs beginning in 2021. (NIL). Some student-athletes have signed endorsement deals worth five or six figures, while the vast majority of the 460,000 college players in the United States earned much lower sums or received free products from local firms.

How much do college football players make? For a long time, people have debated whether or not to alter the rules. Now student-footballers student footballers can profit off their names, image and likenesses (NIL). Therefore, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has approved a policy allowing student-athletes to accept sponsorship money.

READ ALSO: Who is Wout Weghorst, Manchester United's new signing? Age, height, and stats

Sports Brief featured Manchester United's new number nine, Wout Weghorst of the Netherlands. The tall striker joined United to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Wout made mad airwaves in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. His height is perfect for a striker, making him a force to reckon with in the air. Check out the link above for all details about the new striker!

Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.