Turns out money doesn’t always buy wins in college football — whether it’s through NIL deals or coach contracts.
Following Saturday’s 13-10 upset loss to Auburn, Texas A&M dropped to 3-7 on the season — guaranteeing its first losing campaign since 2009 and becoming the first team in the SEC to miss out on bowl eligibility.
Texas A&M is reportedly the first college football program ever to follow a No. 1 recruiting class with a losing season.
Much of the blame will fall on the expensive Jimbo Fisher — the nation’s sixth-highest-paid head coach in 2022 at $9 million. He signed a fully-guaranteed extension in 2021 that will keep him with the program through 2031.
If the university were to fire them this season, it would cost them $86 million to buy out his contract.
In the spring, Nick Saban said that “A&M bought every player on their team” to get the top recruiting class.
Fisher notably recruited the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2022 — and possibly of all time — and all of his classes since 2019 have ranked eighth or better.
It led to the Aggies having all the hype (No. 6 in the preseason AP poll) — which they didn’t get close to living up to.
- The Aggies are the highest preseason ranked team to miss bowl eligibility since No. 5 Texas in 2010.
- Their 3-7 record is the worst through 10 games by a preseason top six since Alabama in 2000.
Texas A&M’s 2023 recruiting class currently ranks as only 23rd-best in the nation.
![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)
