Written from 42 named sources · Oct 24 · first result Big Ten Football NIL & Financial Audit: Donor Infrastructure, 2025 Test Case, Disclosed Direct Payroll, and Coaching Turnover Snapshot Date: October 24, 2026 Investigative Focus: Statutory open-records auditing, collective corporate restructuring, 2025 test-case efficiency, and coaching contract liquidations across all 18 Big Ten Conference football programs. This audit examines capital architecture after direct institutional revenue sharing began July 1, 2025 [30]. Analytical Conventions: NR (Not Reported): Withheld under exemption, redacted, or absent from verified documentation. NR is verified absence, never zero. Segregation: Algorithmic modeled valuations (e.g., nil-ncaa.com [1], The Sideline [19], On3 via [13]) are separated from verified cash distributions, NCAA filings, and open-records releases. [SINGLE SOURCE]: Figure rests on one media report or filing relay. Conflicts: Divergent figures shown side-by-side with outlet and date; never averaged or blended. Part 1: The Donor Side Statutory and Regulatory Tax Evolution Early collectives soliciting deductible gifts under Section 501(c)(3) were addressed by IRS Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum AM 2023-004 [10][11]. Alston & Bird analysis Oct. 18, 2023 [10] and The Tax Adviser Sept. 2023 [11] summarize the memo: Direct player compensation is a fundamental part of collective operations, not a byproduct; private benefit is not qualitatively incidental [10][11]. Many collectives distributing 80% to 100% of revenues to athletes confer substantial private benefit, not quantitatively incidental [10][11]. Assisting athletes with NIL monetization does not advance a charitable or educational purpose under Section 501(c)(3) [10][11]. Contributions to commercial NIL collectives therefore fail to qualify as charitable deductions under Section 170 [10][11]. The memo itself does not revoke any collective's status [10], but signals heightened scrutiny. No later comprehensive statute restoring deductibility is established in the supplied record. Post-House structure separates direct school revenue sharing (initial cap ~$20.5M for 2025-26, ~$21.3M for 2026-27 [4][6][30]) from outside NIL subject to College Sports Commission CAPS reporting and NIL Go review over $600 [4][30]. With revenue sharing, reliance on collectives was expected to decline and many activities were brought in-house or via marketing-agent models [6][17]. A Jan. 27, 2025 Moulton Moore white paper [17] cites NCAA estimates that Power 5 collectives held ~$677M in assets (~$9.8M per school average, modeled) and predicts average funding per collective will decline substantially with revenue sharing. Donor Displacement Big Ten public schools averaged $48,207,007 in net operating losses in FY2025, funded by $36,045,471 average booster contributions, $9,185,690 school support/student fees, and $3,623,092 endowment/investment per school (16 publics, Northwestern/USC excluded) [1]. Average facility debt service was $13,619,409 [1]. Penn State reported debt doubling from $247M to nearly $535M tied to $700M Beaver Stadium renovation [22]. Because commercial NIL is not deductible [10][11], athletic directors report donors diverting annual-fund, facilities, and endowment gifts into payroll pools [1][24]. Full-share Big Ten distributions averaged ~$79.85M in 2024-25 (Oregon $48.42M, Washington $46.71M partial shares) [32], plus corporate inventory including Ohio State's JPMorganChase jersey patch at $17M/yr across 36 sports [15][24]. No Big Ten program published an itemized talent-fee surcharge on tickets (NR). The only documented talent fee is non-Big Ten: Tennessee (SEC) adding 10% talent fee on tickets [42]. Institutional Donor Infrastructure Matrix (18 Programs) Program Primary External / In-House Entity 2025-26 to 2026-27 Absorption Status Disclosed Donors, Tiers, Totals Confirmed Primary Backers Ticket / Talent Fee Illinois FamILLy First / Icon Source alignment Hybrid corporate alignment [17][24] NR for tiers/counts Larry Gies $100M gift to Illinois Athletics (Sept. 9, 2025 press release via [9]); stadium renamed Gies Memorial Stadium [9] NR Indiana Hoosiers Connect / Hoosiers For Good Corporate partner model [5] NR for tiers/counts Mark Cuban — major football backer, first direct athletic gift after Dec. 2024 CFP loss at Notre Dame; funded Fernando Mendoza close (~$2.6M to move from ~$1.6M at Cal, per Reuters via [5]); amount of Cuban total NR [5] NR Iowa The Swarm Collective Reorganized taxable entity NR NR (dollar amounts, counts NR) NR Maryland One Maryland Collective Consolidated umbrella NR NR NR Michigan Champions Circle / Valiant Management External agency integrated [13] NR for tiers/counts Larry Ellison & Jolin Zhu backed Champions Circle recruitment of Bryce Underwood — reported $10.5M base, up to $12M total over four years [13] (Apr. 28, 2026); Dave Portnoy facilitated introduction [13] NR Michigan State Spartan Confidential / This Is Sparta Consolidated commercial NR NR NR Minnesota Dinkytown Athletes Official corporate partner; formula withheld as trade secret [4] (Aug. 24, 2026) NR NR NR Nebraska 1890 Initiative Preferred marketing partner NR NR NR Northwestern True Wildcats External; private governance, FOIA-exempt [22] (Feb. 26, 2026) NR NR NR Ohio State The 1870 Society / THE Foundation Preferred collective; corporate integration [15][30] Roster payroll $30M–$35M range per co-founder Brian Schottenstein to Wall Street Journal (July 1, 2025 via [30]) [SINGLE SOURCE]; tiers NR Corporate consortium; JPMorganChase patch $17M/yr [15]; Schottenstein named booster [30] NR Oregon Division Street Commercial agency, deep alignment NR Phil Knight / Nike networks — cumulative donations exceed $1B [13] (Apr. 28, 2026) and cited as dominant private underwrite [2] (July 31, 2026); dollar for football NR NR Penn State Happy Valley United Consolidated alignment Aggregate direct rev-share $18,368,391 filed [1][4]; external tiers NR NR for collective donor roll NR Purdue Boilermaker Alliance Corporate-licensed NR NR NR Rutgers Knights of The Raritan Independent commercial NR NR NR UCLA Champions of Westwood Commercial partner; contracts withheld under student-privacy [4] NR NR NR USC House of Victory Preferred partner [5]; private, FOIA-exempt [22] NR NR NR Washington Montlake Futures Reorganized 501(c)(4)/commercial NR NR NR Wisconsin Varsity Collective Corporate partnership NR NR NR Modeled historic collective context — not filed: A Mar. 30, 2024 fan-forum aggregation of 2023-24 estimates scaled at ~16% of booster support [20] modeled: Michigan $16M, Penn State $13.7M, Indiana $13.6M, Michigan State $13M, Oregon $10.6M, Iowa $9.6M, Washington $9.4M, Illinois $9.3M, Wisconsin $8.9M, Nebraska $7.9M, Minnesota $7.1M, UCLA $5.9M, Purdue $5.5M [20]. NCAA-cited Power 5 average ~$9.8M (66% football/24% MBB/10% others) [17]. These are labeled modeled estimates, not ledgers; private LLCs publish no 990s or donor rolls. Plain-English Summary: Donor Side Transparency is minimal. Verified names exist — Cuban at Indiana [5], Ellison/Zhu at Michigan [13], Knight at Oregon [13][2], Gies at Illinois [9], Schottenstein at Ohio State [30] — but counts, tiers, and totals are NR conference-wide. Tax law pushed collectives to taxable LLCs [10][11], and schools fund deficits via media, subsidies, and patches, not published Big Ten talent fees. Part 2: 2025 Season as Test Case Method: 2026-27 modeled totals [1][19] are indices, not 2025 cash. Reported 2025 cash is separated. Indiana 2025 conflict — side-by-side, same season, do not blend: ~$15M, "closer to $15M than $40M" — Curt Cignetti to On3 in April 2026, relayed by The Athletic Sept. 17, 2026 which inferred <$27.5M [14] ~$21.1M total compensation (blended rev-share + NIL) — NewsExpeditions 2026 [5] $8M–$10M payroll — Baratelli Institute July 31, 2026 [2] All are quotes/models, not filings. Indiana 2026 conflict — different season: $27.253M total ($15.6M rev-share + $11.653M NIL) — nil-ncaa.com modeled [1] "clearly closer to $40M" — The Athletic Sept. 17, 2026 [14] $38M football (67.3% of $56.5M all-sport) — The Sideline Oct. 13, 2026 [19] Uniform $15.6M rev-share leg in [1] is assumption, not disclosure. Program 2026-27 Modeled Benchmark vs. Reported Cash 2025 Conf. / Overall [9] Final AP [9] Preseason AP [9] Bowl/CFP [9] Spend Rank* − Standing Illinois Modeled $21.854M [1]; Reported NR 5–4 (T7th) / 9–4 Unranked AP (25 Coaches) 12 Won Music City 30–28 vs Tennessee Illustrative only Indiana Modeled $27.253M [1]; $38M [19]; Reported 2025: ~$15M [14] / ~$21.1M [5] / $8–10M [2] 9–0 (T1st, Won CCG 13–10 vs Ohio St) / 16–0 1 20 National Champion 27–21 vs Miami; Won Rose 38–3 vs Alabama; Won Peach 56–22 vs Oregon Elite efficiency on reported cash Iowa Modeled $23.649M [1]; Reported NR 6–3 (6th) / 9–4 17 NR (unranked) Won ReliaQuest 34–27 vs Vanderbilt — Maryland Modeled $23.72M [1]; Reported NR 1–8 (T16th) / 4–8 Unranked NR DNQ Underperformed Michigan Modeled $32.964M [1]; $38M [19]; Reported NR 7–2 (T4th) / 9–4 21 14 Lost Citrus 41–27 vs Texas; Moore fired Dec. 10 [9][31] Neutral/Under Michigan State Modeled $23.115M [1]; Reported NR 1–8 (T16th) / 4–8 Unranked NR DNQ; Smith fired Nov. 30 [9][28] Under Minnesota Modeled $22.575M [1]; Reported NR 5–4 (T7th) / 8–5 Unranked NR Won Rate 20–17 OT vs New Mexico Over Nebraska Modeled $27.44M [1]; Reported NR 4–5 (T10th) / 7–6 Unranked NR Lost Las Vegas 44–22 vs Utah Under Northwestern Modeled $21.035M [1]; Reported NR 4–5 (T10th) / 7–6 Unranked NR Won GameAbove 34–7 vs C. Michigan Over Ohio State Modeled $40.421M [1]; $51.5M [19]; Reported: $20M 2024 title baseline [14]; $30–35M 2025 payroll [30] [SINGLE SOURCE] 9–0 (T1st, Lost CCG) / 12–2 5 3 Lost Cotton QF 24–14 vs Miami Met floor Oregon Modeled $43.405M [1]; $51M [19]; Reported NR 8–1 (3rd) / 13–2 4 7 Won Orange QF 23–0 vs Texas Tech; Lost Peach SF 22–56 vs Indiana Met floor Penn State Disclosed direct $13.338959M [1][4]; Modeled total $29.208M [1] 3–6 (T12th) / 7–6 Unranked 2 Won Pinstripe 22–10 vs Clemson; Franklin fired Oct. 12 [9][31] Severe collapse Purdue Modeled $20.367M [1]; Reported NR 0–9 (18th) / 2–10 Unranked NR DNQ Floor retained Rutgers Modeled $21.321M [1]; Reported NR 2–7 (T14th) / 5–7 Unranked NR DNQ Marginal UCLA Modeled $24.332M [1]; $28M [19]; Reported NR 3–6 (T12th) / 3–9 Unranked NR DNQ; Foster fired Sept. 14 [9][31] Under USC Modeled $34.728M [1]; $38.5M [19]; Reported NR 7–2 (T4th) / 9–4 20 NR Lost Alamo 30–27 OT vs TCU Under Washington Modeled $26.357M [1]; Reported NR 5–4 (T7th) / 9–4 Unranked NR Won LA Bowl 38–10 vs Boise St Neutral Wisconsin Modeled $24.484M [1]; Reported NR 2–7 (T14th) / 4–8 Unranked NR DNQ Under *Spending rank uses 2026-27 modeled order; 2025 spending rank is NR. Spending-rank-minus-standing is therefore not computable as a 2025 test and is shown only as illustrative. Final 2025 SP+, preseason SP+, and preseason conference media poll are NR conference-wide in supplied record. Plain-English Summary: Did Spending Predict Results? No clean link on available evidence. High modeled spend set a floor — Oregon (13–2, SF) and Ohio State (12–2, QF) [9] — but did not guarantee titles. Penn State (preseason AP 2 [9]) collapsed to 7–6 despite $29.21M modeled [1]. Indiana went 16–0 and won the title [9] at self-reported ~$15M or less [14][2], versus ~$21.1M alternate [5]. Efficiency and fit beat gross outlay. Part 3: Actual Disclosed Payroll House cap: ~$20.5M total athletic department 2025-26, ~$21.3M 2026-27 [4][6][30]; College Sports Commission covered benefits $21.58M 2026-27 [19]. Cap covers all sports, not football alone [5][30]. Standard $15.6M football leg is modeled uniform assumption [1], not universal payment. Penn State is the sole filed football allocation. Figure is a 2025-26 commitment reported on the 2024-25 NCAA report (via Center Daily Times relay) [1][4] [SINGLE SOURCE filing relay] — commitment, not proof of cash paid. Program Year / Source Total Direct Pool Football Allocation Football % Scholarship Offset vs $15.6M Model vs nil-ncaa Total [1] Penn State FY2025 NCAA Report filed 2026 [1][4] $18,368,391 $13,338,959 72.62% (13,338,959/18,368,391; 72.6% in [1][4]) ~$2.1M inferred new scholarships ($20.5M→~$18.4M) [1][4] — inferred, not reported -$2,261,041 (85.51% of model) -$15,869,041 vs $29.208M (not like-for-like; model incl. outside NIL) Illinois Announced formula 75-15-5-5 [4]; filed NR NR Announced ~$15.38M (75% of $20.5M) [4]; filed NR 75% targeted NR NR Modeled $21.854M Indiana Full $20.5M committed 4 sports [5]; filed NR NR Reported ~$15M cash [14]; filed NR ~73–75% est. NR NR Modeled $27.253M Iowa Denied — competitive sensitivity [4] Withheld Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $23.649M Maryland "Vast majority" FB/MBB/WBB [4]; hard NR NR Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $23.72M Michigan FY2026 budget $26.7M combined rev-share+scholarships [4]; cash pool NR NR Announced ~$15.38M (75%) [4]; filed NR 75% target $6.2M projected new scholarships [4] NR Modeled $32.964M Michigan State Board audits withheld [4] Withheld Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $23.115M Minnesota FOIA denial — trade secret [4]; full $20.5M 5 sports Withheld totals Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $22.575M Nebraska AD Troy Dannen ~$15M [4]; filed NR Full cap committed ~$15M stated [4] ~73% target NR NR Modeled $27.44M Northwestern Private — exempt [22] NR NR NR NR NR Modeled $21.035M Ohio State $18M direct pool announced [4]; sport split refused $18M direct (FB/MBB/WBB/VB) Withheld NR $2.5M on 91 new scholarships [4] NR Modeled $40.421M Oregon Full $20.5M committed; contracts exempt [4] Withheld detail Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $43.405M Purdue Full cap; <75% FB target [4]; filed NR NR Target <75% [4] <75% $300K Olympic reserve [4] NR Modeled $20.367M Rutgers OPRA withheld [4] Withheld Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $21.321M UCLA Full $20.5M; FERPA denial [4] Withheld detail Outside est. ~75% [4]; filed withheld NR NR NR Modeled $24.332M USC Private — exempt [22] NR NR NR NR NR Modeled $34.728M Washington Priorities listed, no figures [4] NR Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $26.357M Wisconsin Full cap confirmed [4]; filed NR NR Withheld NR NR NR Modeled $24.484M Announced percentages are statements, not disclosures. Plain-English Summary: Disclosed Payroll One filed number exists: Penn State $13.34M of $18.37M (72.62%) [1][4], $2.26M below the $15.6M model [1]. The $2.1M scholarship offset is inference [1][4]. All other publics shield via trade-secret (Minnesota), competitive sensitivity (Iowa), contract exemption (Oregon), FERPA (UCLA) [4]; privates USC/Northwestern are FOIA-immune [22]. Part 4: The Cost of Firing Coaches Gross buyout = maximum liability; net = after mitigation/settlement. Duty-to-mitigate/offset applies but formula rarely disclosed [2][3]. Program & Fired Coach Gross Buyout Owed — Side-by-Side Mitigation / Schedule Assistants Incoming Hire & Prior Buyout New Deal Who Pays Net Reset vs Modeled Spend [1] Penn State — James Franklin, fired Oct. 12, 2025 [3][9][31] $48,666,667 USA Today Oct. 8, 2025 [3] vs >$49M contract (CBS Nov. 17, 2025 via [9]) vs ~$45M+ mid-cycle [2] (July 31, 2026) vs $49M [16]; negotiated $9M upon Virginia Tech hire Nov. 17, 2025 [9] Duty to mitigate; $9M settlement eliminates ~$40M exposure [9]; schedule NR NR Matt Campbell from Iowa State Dec. 5, 2025 [9][28][31]; prior ISU buyout owed by PSU, amount NR [2] 8-year [9]; ~$10M+ AAV [2]; ~$80M+ total [2] Athletic reserves & Nittany Lion Club [2] $9M severance [9] + ~$80M new [2]; initial $48.67M was 166.6% of $29.208M modeled; $9M is 30.8% Michigan — Sherrone Moore, fired Dec. 10, 2025 with cause [9][28][31] $0 owed with cause [2][18]; without-cause would have been $13,897,916 USA Today Dec. 1, 2025 [3] No buyout; arrested/charged Dec. 12, 2025 [9][28] OC Chip Lindsey to Missouri [16]; pool NR Kyle Whittingham from Utah Dec. 26, 2025 [9][28][31]; prior $0 (stepped down Dec. 12) [2][9] 5-yr, $8.2M avg, ~$41M total, 75% guaranteed (~$30.75M) per ESPN via Yahoo [18] vs ~$9M+ [2] — conflict Dept. + donors [2][22] $41M new [18] vs $32.964M modeled [1]; $13.9M saved [3][18] Michigan State — Jonathan Smith, fired Nov. 30, 2025 [2][9][28][31] ~$33M [2][34] vs $33,033,125 USA Today [3]; 2025 salary $7.35M [3] Duty to mitigate, monthly offset; settlement NR NR Pat Fitzgerald Dec. 1, 2025, unattached [9][28][31]; prior $0 [2] ~$7.5M AAV range [2]; term/total NR Foundation + dept. [2] $33M gross is 142.7% of $23.115M modeled [1] UCLA — DeShaun Foster, fired Sept. 14, 2025 [2][9][28][31] $5M ESPN Oct. 28, 2025 via [9] vs $7M USA Today Dec. 1, 2025 [3] vs ~$8M [2] — three-way conflict UC Regents duty to mitigate; terms NR OC Tino Sunseri replaced [16]; buyouts NR Bob Chesney from JMU Dec. 6, 2025 [9][28][31]; prior JMU buyout NR ~$5M AAV range [2]; term/total NR Dept. carrying deficits [1][22] $5–8M is 20.6–32.9% of $24.332M modeled [1] Maryland — Mike Locksley, firing indicated 2026 season $13,395,417 USA Today [3] vs ~$13M CBS firing story [15] vs ~$10M+ [2] — side-by-side Terms NR; firing headline "amid 2–5 start" [15]; video "Early Candidates for Maryland Coaching Gig" [33]; 2–5 record Oct. 24, 2026 [35]; firing date/terms NR (headline-only) NR Successor NR as of Oct. 24, 2026 NR NR (payer unverified; foundations often pay generally [2]) Gross ~$13M vs $23.72M modeled [1] (~55%); prior retention avoided $13M in 2025 to return 2026 with retention mandate [15]; $32.7M 5-yr deficit [15] Payer is unverified except general note foundations often pay [2]. Plain-English Summary: Coaching Turnover Severance rivals rosters. Franklin's $48.67M–$49M gross [3][9][16] settled to $9M [9]; Smith ~$33M [2][3][34]; Foster $5M/$7M/~$8M conflict [9][3][2]; Moore $0 with cause, saving $13.9M [2][3][18]. Whittingham $41M ($30.75M guaranteed) [18] vs ~$9M+ [2]; Campbell 8-yr ~$80M+ [2][9]. Maryland's 2026 Locksley firing is indicated by CBS headline [15], candidate video [33], and 2–5 record [35], with buyout $13.4M/$13M/~$10M+ conflict [3][15][2]. Biggest Remaining Gaps Final 2025 SP+ and media poll: Week-specific SP+ exists [26][27][39][40] but consolidated final 2025 SP+ and media-poll points for 18 schools are absent. Public-school payroll blackout: Only Penn State filed [1][4]; others use trade-secret, FERPA, competitive-sensitivity exemptions [4]. Private immunity: USC/Northwestern exempt [22][32]. Collective ledgers: Private LLCs publish no audits, 990s, or donor rolls; historic estimates [20] and $9.8M average [17] are modeled only. Executed settlements: Final Franklin/Moore/Smith/Foster/Locksley agreements, assistant buyouts, schedules withheld as personnel/legal; mitigation formulas not in sources. Sources [1] Big Ten Schools – NIL & NCAA Revenue Sharing – NIL & NCAA Revenue Sharing by School& NIL — https://nil-ncaa.com/big10 [2] College Football Coach Salaries & Buyouts: 60+ P4 Coaches — https://baratelliinstitute.com/college-football-coach-tracker [3] College Football Coaches Salaries and Buyouts - Saturday Down South — https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/college-football/coaches/salaries [4] Big Ten Revenue Sharing: The $369 Million Secret — https://www.newsexpeditions.com/big-ten-revenue-sharing-the-369-million-secret [5] Indiana NIL in 2026: Mark Cuban, Revenue Sharing, and Roster Costs — https://www.newsexpeditions.com/indiana-nil-in-2026-mark-cuban-revenue-sharing-and-roster-costs [6] NIL & NCAA Revenue Sharing by School& NIL — https://nil-ncaa.com [9] 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season - Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NCAA_Division_I_FBS_football_season [10] NIL Collectives: Tax-Exempt Status on the Defensive Alston & Bird — https://www.alston.com/en/insights/publications/2023/10/the-irss-latest-play-on-nil-collectives [11] Most NIL collectives do not further a Sec. 501(c)(3) exempt purpose — https://www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2023/sep/most-nil-collectives-do-not-further-a-sec-501c3-exempt-purpose [13] Top NIL Earners in College Football 2026: Rankings & Deals — https://blog.rallyfuel.com/highest-nil-earners-college-football [14] Big Ten football roster budgets show a clear top 2 — but Indiana is catching up - The Athletic — https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7595072/2026/09/17/big-ten-football-roster-spending-nil [15] Inside the Big Ten money gap: $40M roster has become simply cost of admission - CBS Sports — https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-money-gap-teams-nil-revenue-sharing [16] 2025-26 College Football Coaching Carousel Tracker: Every Fire, Hire, and Rumor — https://saturdayblitz.com/2025-26-college-football-coaching-carousel-every-firing-hire-and-rumor-so-far [17] [PDF] House Rules: O)ering Thoughtful Rev Share & NIL Packages — https://moultonmoore.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MMS-House-Rev-Share-Article-FINAL-January-27-2025.pdf [18] What percentage of Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan contract is garunteed - Yahoo Sports — https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/percentage-kyle-whittingham-michigan-contract-035538417.html [19] Top NIL Schools 2026: Rankings & Spending NIL Tracker — https://thesideline.co/nil-tracker [20] LISTING OF ALL NIL COLLECTIVES & REVENUE BY SCHOOL — https://odu.csnbbs.com/post-19546604.html [22] What we learned from the finances of the Big Ten’s first year as an 18-team conference - The Athletic — https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7071017/2026/02/26/big-ten-financial-reports-2025 [24] Managing Private Capital in College Athletics: A Fiduciary ... — https://www.jdsupra.com/post/fileServer.aspx?fName=876b3efc-0d36-4ade-92d1-390fea5ee7bf.pdf [26] Big Ten Rankings and Projections After Week 2 — https://www.uwdawgpound.com/big-ten-conference-news/77038/big-ten-rankings-and-projections-after-week-2 [27] Big Ten Rankings and Projections After Week 3 — https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/big-ten-rankings-projections-week-221947768.html [28] Coaching Changes - College Football College Football Poll.com — https://www.collegefootballpoll.com/coaching-changes [30] NCAA’s new revenue-sharing era dawns with hope for change and questions about the future - NBC Sports — https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/news/ncaas-new-revenue-sharing-era-dawns-with-hope-for-change-and-questions-about-the-future [31] 2025 college football coaching carousel: Firings, hirings - ESPN — https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/46615017/2025-college-football-coaching-carousel-firings-hirings [32] Big Ten Conference - Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ten_Conference [33] Big Ten Conference — https://bigten.org [34] College football coaching carousel: Tracker for every FBS coaching change in 2025 Sporting News — https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/college-football-coach-carousel-tracker-fbs-change-2025/cd8968b664089f73728cc69d [35] 2026 Football Standings - Big Ten Conference — https://bigten.org/standings.aspx?path=football [39] Big Ten football 2026 SP+ rankings — https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/wolverines/football/2026/03/27/big-ten-football-2026-sp-rankings/89348254007 [40] Final preseason college football SP+ rankings, takeaways for 2026 - ESPN — https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49593338/final-preseason-college-football-sp+-rankings-takeaways-2026 [42] Tennessee increases ticket prices by 10% to help pay athletes - ESPN — https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/41302985/tennessee-ups-season-ticket-prices-10-help-pay-athletes Coach Buyouts (2025) : r/CFB — https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/1o52jx2/coach_buyouts_2025 2026 College Football SP+ Rankings — https://cfbupdate.com/sp-ratings 2026 College Football Transfer Portal Tracker: LSU Gets Ex-Colorado 5-Star FOX Sports — https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/college-football-transfer-portal-tracker-2025-2026 All the college football coaches fired and hired in 2025 so far - CBS Sports — https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-coaching-carousel-tracker-grades-analysis-on-coach-changes-2025-26-firin