Data

The Group of Five NIL Gap, Measured

By termiNIL Research Published September 16, 2026 4 min read Model data as of September 14, 2026

The short answer

The Power Four — the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 — controls 70.7% of the $3.00 billion national college football NIL market on just 67 of 138 FBS rosters. Every Power Four conference's per-team average beats every conference outside it: the gap runs from about 95% at the closest pairing (the ACC's $27.7M average against the AAC's $14.2M) to nearly 4 times at the widest (the SEC's $38.5M against the MAC's $9.69M).

Key takeaways

The SEC ($616.6M), Big Ten ($588.4M), ACC ($470.5M) and Big 12 ($449.8M) combine for 70.7% of the sport's $3.00B modeled NIL market.
The SEC's $38.5M average roster is nearly 4 times the MAC's $9.69M average — the widest per-team gap between any Power Four and non-Power Four conference.
Even the closest pairing is lopsided: the ACC's $27.7M average roster tops the AAC's $14.2M average, the richest conference outside the Power Four, by about 95%.
The Power Four fields 67 programs to 69 outside it — almost the same count — so the market-share gap is priced entirely into per-team value, not roster totals.
Tulane's $19.4M roster is the most valuable program outside the Power Four, and it still trails Stanford's $19.5M — the least valuable Power Four roster — by less than 1%.

"The Group of Five can't compete financially" is one of the most repeated lines in college football, and one of the least priced. Nobody attaches a number to it beyond vague references to collective budgets nobody can verify.

Roster value can be priced, conference by conference, because it sums every scholarship player's modeled NIL worth into one checkable total. As of September 14, 2026, the gap between the Power Four and everyone else isn't just real — it's close to 4-to-1 at its widest, and it doesn't come from the Power Four fielding more teams.

How much bigger is the Power Four's NIL market than everyone else's?

The SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 combine for 70.7% of the $3.00 billion national NIL market. The six conferences outside them — the AAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West, Conference USA, MAC and Pac-12 — split 27.3%. The remaining 2.0% belongs to the sport's two football independents.

Conference	Group	Teams	Total value	Avg per team	Market share
SEC	Power Four	16	$616.6M	$38.5M	20.5%
Big Ten	Power Four	18	$588.4M	$32.7M	19.6%
ACC	Power Four	17	$470.5M	$27.7M	15.7%
Big 12	Power Four	16	$449.8M	$28.1M	15.0%
AAC	Outside	14	$198.5M	$14.2M	6.6%
Pac-12	Outside	8	$107.8M	$13.5M	3.6%
Sun Belt	Outside	13	$155.4M	$12.0M	5.2%
Mountain West	Outside	10	$115.5M	$11.6M	3.8%
Conference USA	Outside	11	$116.1M	$10.6M	3.9%
MAC	Outside	13	$126.0M	$9.69M	4.2%

Why doesn't team count explain the gap?

Because the two groups field almost the same number of programs: 67 in the Power Four, 69 outside it. If roster count drove the split, the shares would land close to even. Instead one side takes 70.7% of the market and the other 27.3%. The gap lives entirely in what each program is worth, not how many programs there are.

That shows up cleanest in the per-team averages. Every Power Four conference's average roster beats every conference outside it — no exceptions, no overlap. The closest pairing is the ACC's $27.7M against the AAC's $14.2M, still a 95% gap. The widest is the SEC's $38.5M against the MAC's $9.69M, nearly 4 times as much per roster.

Which conference outside the Power Four has the most NIL money?

The AAC, at $198.5 million across 14 teams and a $14.2 million per-team average — ahead of the Pac-12 ($13.5M average), Sun Belt ($12.0M), Mountain West ($11.6M), Conference USA ($10.6M) and MAC ($9.69M). The AAC's $14.2 million average is the highest of any conference outside the Power Four, and it still sits below every Power Four conference's floor.

Is any team outside the Power Four keeping pace with the Power Four?

One, almost. Tulane's roster prices at $19.4 million, the highest of any program in the AAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West, Conference USA, MAC or Pac-12 — and the 69th most valuable roster in the country.

National rank	Team	Group	Roster value
68	Stanford	ACC (Power Four)	$19.5M
69	Tulane	AAC (outside Power Four)	$19.4M

Stanford, the least valuable Power Four roster nationally, sits just 0.7% ahead of Tulane. It's the one place on the board where the two markets actually touch — everywhere else, the gap between the weakest Power Four program and the strongest program outside it is measured in conferences, not percentage points.

Where does the Pac-12 fit after realignment?

Not with the Power Four, by the numbers. The reformed Pac-12 fields 8 teams worth $107.8 million combined, a $13.5 million per-team average — closer to the Mountain West and the AAC than to any of the four power conferences. termiNIL groups it with the conferences outside the Power Four rather than treating it as a fifth power league, because that's what its roster values show.

Notre Dame and UConn, the sport's only football independents, are counted in neither group. Together they total $59.5 million across 2 teams — an average of $29.8 million that reflects Notre Dame carrying nearly all of it, not a shared standard.

The full conference-by-conference and team-by-team breakdowns are in the team NIL value rankings and the termiNIL terminal. For how the SEC and Big Ten compare directly at the top of the market, see SEC vs. Big Ten: which conference actually has more NIL money.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Power Four in college football, and how is it different from the Group of Five?

The Power Four is the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 — 67 programs that together hold 70.7% of the $3.00 billion modeled NIL market. The other 69 FBS programs, across the AAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West, Conference USA, MAC and Pac-12, split the remaining 27.3%, plus a small independent slice.

How much more NIL money does the Power Four have than the Group of Five?

It depends on the conference pairing, but every Power Four league beats every non-Power Four league on a per-team basis. The gap is smallest between the ACC ($27.7M average roster) and the AAC ($14.2M), about 95%, and widest between the SEC ($38.5M) and the MAC ($9.69M), nearly 4 times.

Which team outside the Power Four has the most NIL value?

Tulane, at $19.4 million, the highest roster value of any program in the AAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West, Conference USA, MAC or Pac-12. It still ranks 69th nationally, just behind Stanford's $19.5 million — the least valuable Power Four roster.

Does the Pac-12 count as a Power Four conference for NIL purposes?

No. After realignment, the reformed Pac-12 fields 8 teams worth $107.8 million combined, a $13.5 million per-team average in line with the Mountain West and AAC, not the SEC or Big Ten. termiNIL groups it with the conferences outside the Power Four.

Where does Notre Dame fit into the Power Four vs. Group of Five comparison?

Nowhere — Notre Dame is a football independent, along with UConn, and the pair is counted in neither group. Together they total $59.5 million across 2 teams, though Notre Dame's roster alone would rank inside the national top five regardless of conference.

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Sources & data

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Methodology note. All player valuations on termiNIL are modeled estimates produced by a transparent bottom-up factor model — position base × role × production grade × team × market × social reach. They are not reported salaries, verified contract figures, or statements of fact about any athlete's actual compensation, and they are calibrated on an ongoing basis against confirmed market data. termiNIL is independent and is not affiliated with the NCAA, the College Sports Commission, any school, collective, or agency.

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