If the NCAA, College Football Playoff, and Power 5 programs don’t make significant changes to their habits, spending on football coaching salaries will continue to far outpace spending for athletes’ rights, according to a Knight Commission report.
- By 2030, football coaching salaries could go up 353% compared with 2011, for a total of $1.5 billion.
- Spending for football coach severance packages could reach $155 million in 2030.
- Meanwhile, athletic student aid may climb to $1.2 billion — only a 102% increase since 2011.
The report, presented during the 2023 NCAA Convention, attributed the projections to major increases in revenues, as well as current trends that prioritize shiny new facilities and football coaches over resources for athletes.
The Knight Commission suggests that the 12-team CFP format, which will commence in 2024, will bring in between $1 billion-$1.5 billion for schools each year. That’s more than twice the current amount of $600 million.
Even that estimate may be conservative, however. The media rights contract for the 12-team CFP alone could rake in up to $2.2 billion each year, Front Office Sports previously reported.
The report noted that increased SEC and Big Ten media rights revenues will contribute as well.
![Florida head coach Jon Sumrall speaks after spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/USATSI_28676620_168416386_lowres-e1779828437389.jpg?quality=80&w=300)
