Ohio State tops college football with massive roster budget, per report

Ohio State's football roster costs a pretty penny.

According to a report by The Athletic on Sept. 16, Ohio State has the highest estimated annual roster budget in college football with an estimated annual figure ranging from $49-54 million.

Related Jeremiah Smith article: Ohio State football needs more support for Jeremiah Smith in passing game

The Buckeyes' estimated roster budget tops Oregon and Texas, with Oregon ranging from $48-54 million. Texas' budget casts a wider net with an annual amount ranging from $45-55 million, according to the report.

Ohio State and Oregon's maximum budgets are $14 million more than the next most lucrative spenders in the Big Ten conference. Indiana, USC and Michigan top out spending at an estimated $40 million.

USC ranks 12th ($37-40 million), while Indiana and Michigan rank tied for 13th ($36-40 million) in budgets among Power 4 schools.

Ohio State's minimum estimated roster budget of $49 million is $29 million higher than the maximum annual spending of Purdue, the lowest spending team of the Big Ten ($16-20 million), per The Athletic.

The Athletic report stated that few people inside a college football program building know their school’s exact numbers, and that coaches will likely undersell the amount of money their programs are actually spending.

Top 10 Estimated roster budgets from Power 4 conferences

Per The Athletic:

1. Ohio State, $49-54 million
2. Oregon, $48-54 million
3. Texas, $45-55 million
4. LSU, $47-50 million
5. Texas A&M, $45-50 million
6. Miami, $44-50 million
7. Notre Dame, $41-48 million
8. Ole Miss, $39-45 million
9. Tennessee, $41-43 million
10. Alabama, $38-42 million

Estimated roster budgets, Big Ten conference

1. Ohio State, $49-54 million
2. Oregon, $48-54 million
3. USC, $37-40 million
4. Indiana, $36-40 million
5. Michigan, $36-40 million
6. Nebraska, $31-35 million
7. Penn State, $29-32 million
8. Wisconsin, $27-31 million
9. UCLA, $26-30 million
10. Maryland, $21-25 million
11. Michigan State, $21-25 million
12. Northwestern, $21-25 million
13. Washington, $21-25 million
14. Rutgers, $20-23 million
15. Illinois, $19-23 million
16. Minnesota, $18-22 million
17. Iowa, $17-21 million
18. Purdue, $16-20 million

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State tops college football with massive roster budget, per report