CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois will kick off in Columbus on Saturday against Ohio State, a team that has had the Illini’s number in recent decades.
The Illini haven’t beaten the Buckeyes since 2007, when I was a year old — now I’m a junior at U of I, and I’m wondering if I’ll ever see the orange and blue lift the Illibuck trophy.
Clearly, a lot has changed in college sports since 2007. The introduction of NIL was thought to level the playing field, and it has, in some cases; however, in college football,
major spending disparities still exist.
When comparing the money spent on the two teams’ rosters for 2026, an eye-popping gap emerges.
According to The Athletic, the Buckeyes’ roster is worth $49 to $54 million this year. That number — when contrasted with the Illini’s estimated $19 to $23 million — shows two very different teams.
Even though money doesn’t always translate into winning, it does get you five-star recruits and transfer portal stars — and those players can make you win. The millions of extra dollars Ohio State has give them much more flexibility than Illinois to not only go out and get those players, but also be fine with missing on some players too.
Illinois’ roster spending puts them fourth-to-last in the Big Ten, only slightly ahead of Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes’ jaw-dropping number puts them atop the Big Ten, ahead of programs like Oregon, Michigan and USC.
These numbers will keep growing, too. Just two short years ago, when Ohio State won the College Football Playoff title, its roster was only worth $20 million, the number that the Illini now sit at.
We’re still living in the Wild West of NIL. With the Protect College Sports Act sitting idle in Congress, teams will keep pushing ahead with massive spending.
However, it’s not like Illinois is without money. Even though it sits next to programs like Purdue and Minnesota, the Illini don’t really have anything in common with them in how their athletic programs are trending.
Illinois has several mega donors; however, is its money going to the right places?
Last fall, Larry Gies pledged a $100 million donation to Illinois Athletics. However, as of today, more than 1/5 of that money has already been spent on the country’s biggest scoreboard, as well as other visual updates within the stadium.
The scoreboard cost just over $20.9 million, yet Illinois is still at the bottom of the Big Ten in NIL spending.
It’s objectively an impressive addition to the stadium and has brought some national media attention to the program; however, when Illinois is spending almost $30 million less than Ohio State, it’s fair to question if we really needed the renovation.
I’m no expert on where Gies’ money could have been allocated, but when you look at programs like Michigan, which essentially had billionaire Larry Ellison write a $15 million check to buy Bryce Underwood, it makes you scratch your head.
Clearly, there is a massive difference between Ohio State’s and Illinois’s programs. For the foreseeable future, the Buckeyes will always have more money on hand.
And that’s the uncomfortable reality for Illinois.
As long as the rules stay the same, the Illini have little choice but to play the game. If competing for Big Ten championships requires spending more to acquire and retain players, Illinois needs to find a way to close that gap.
But that doesn’t mean this should be college football’s future.
Ohio State spending around $50 million on a roster isn’t exactly the problem. The issue is what happens in the coming years. Other programs will spend more and more to keep up, and the price of a competitive roster keeps climbing with no finish line in sight.
The money problem isn’t new. It’s not like NIL created Ohio State’s advantages over Illinois, but the current system gives the wealthiest programs another place to flex their strength.
Maybe Illinois should have spent $21 million on new video displays, and maybe that investment will pay off one day. But when the Illini walk out into the Shoe on Saturday with a roster valued almost $30 million below that of the team across the sideline, it’s worth considering where the program’s next major investment should go.
Until Congress and college football finally get their act together with spending rules, my answer for where money should go is simple: the players.
Because as good as the biggest scoreboard in college football looks, a roster that is capable of beating Ohio State consistently would look a whole lot better.
