Deep pockets fuel college football. Texas A&M's massive $1.6 billion valuation reveals the new landscape where player loyalty is bought, not earned.
In college football, money talks, and B.S. (degrees) takes the train. College Football has changed, most fans say for the worse, and has put the gridiron at a 45-degree slant.
Players now pledge their loyalty to the school that can pay them the most money. That money comes from boosters and collectives with pockets so deep they could rival the Mariana Trench.
In a study issued by the Wall Street Journal and reported at CBSSports.com, the Texas A&M Aggies are one of the most valuable college football programs in the country, with a valuation of $1.6 billion. That is second only to the Texas Longhorns, who boast the largest valuation in college football at $2.2 billion.
Texas A&M football earned $218 million in adjusted revenue for the 2025 season.
That could buy a ton of No. 2 pencils and five-subject notebooks. But instead, that kind of cash will be used to pay the best football players in the country to suit up in the maroon and white.
These players would then take that money and probably buy some gaudy jewelry or buy a sweet new ride to make the drive to the practice field a bit more enjoyable.
It's the classic tale of the Haves vs The Haves Not.
Sure, the Player of the Month can walk into a five-star restaurant in College Station, Austin, Columbus, or Baton Rouge and get a center table in the main dining room.
But players in the Group of Five, FCS or D-II are relegated to a corner booth at the local Krystal Burger.
NIL is the Wild West (cue the Kool Moe D lyrics). The Haves are the Magnificent Seven, and the Haves Not are the Apple Dumpling Gang.
The Aggies just finished their best season in the last 30 years, and Mike Elko has worked hard to secure commitments from some of the best prospects in the portal, like receiver Isaiah Horton (from Alabama). Horton presents a talented target on the perimeter for returning quarterback Marcel Reed.
The Aggies return other key starters at the skill positions, like running back Rueben Owens II.
The Aggies will be talented again in 2026 and Kyle Field will be rocking.
The school colors on game day are maroon and white, but the real team color is green, as in dollar bill green. Green is a secondary color on the color wheel, but in college football, green is the primary color that is so vibrant and responsible for the college football experience on Saturdays, both on and off the field.