The Colorado football program was ranked within the top 50 of the most valuable college football programs in the country, according to a new report from The Athletic.
Deion Sanders has a significant impact on Colorado’s valuation, according to the report, which states that he adds upwards of $50 million to the program. It should not come as a surprise, considering Sanders is a mega personality and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
With Colorado’s price coming in at $328 million, good for No. 47 among all Power 4 programs and a top-seven mark in the Big 12. So, how does the rest of the Big 12 stack up after significant realignment in the past few years, which saw revenue behemoths Texas and Oklahoma depart for the SEC?
Texas now holds the top valuation in college football at $2.38 billion, and Oklahoma ranks No. 7 overall ($1.49 billion), with both marks coming ahead of the highest valued Big 12 team.
Here are the valuations of all 16 Big 12 programs, ranked lowest to highest.
16. Houston Cougars
Projected valuation: $91 million
Power 4 rank: No. 68
Houston comes in with the lowest valuation among Power 4 teams, $15 million lower than the next team, which also hails from the Big 12.
Projected valuation: $106 million
Power 4 rank: No. 67
Cincinnati suffers from being a city that features the Reds (MLB), Bengals (NFL) and FC Cincinnati (MLS), which may be higher up the list for fans than the Bearcats.
Projected valuation: $197 million
Power 4 rank: No. 61
Kansas should be higher on this list, with an average football revenue of nearly $40 million, but the football program is not the university’s most lucrative sport. That goes to men’s basketball, which blows even the most talented Jayhawk football teams out of the water in terms of fan interest.
13. UCF Knights
Projected valuation: $210 million
Power 4 rank: No. 59
The Knights appear to be perfectly ranked at No. 59 overall and have the fourth-lowest valuation in the conference. They have a solid foundation as a legitimate football program, but a lower ceiling that limits them from being anything more.
Projected valuation: $276 million
Power 4 rank: No. 55
The jump from UCF to Baylor is significant in valuation, nearly $70 million. Baylor begins the run of Big 12 teams clustered together as the parity seen on the field unsurprisingly transfers to the entire football program.
Projected valuation: $282 million
Power 4 rank: No. 54
There is too much going on in Arizona for the Wildcats to make a significant dent in these rankings. Not to mention, Arizona State is far superior to them as the premier football program in the Grand Canyon State.
Projected valuation: $284 million
Power 4 rank: No. 53
West Virginia could be a national power, especially considering its proximity to rivals Pitt and Penn State. They have not reached that point yet, but I could see them rising in this list under Rich Rodriguez.
9. BYU Cougars
Projected valuation: $306 million
Power 4 rank: No. 50
We have our second big jump in valuation ($22 million) and our first Big 12 program ranked in the top 50. The Cougars will soon be much higher on this list, as they are now eligible for full Big 12 payouts.
Projected valuation: $321 million
Power 4 rank: No. 49
The conference is still clustered with Kansas State following BYU, and both programs are behind Colorado, which is just a few spots ahead. The Wildcats could win the Big 12 title this season, which would significantly improve their valuation.
Projected valuation: $328 million
Power 4 rank: No. 47
Who knows where the Buffs would fall without Deion Sanders, but thankfully, Colorado fans don’t have to worry about that yet.
Projected valuation: $331 million
Power 4 rank: No. 45
Matt Campbell consistently has his Cyclones performing above their expected level. As one of the Big 12 mainstays, Iowa State is right where many expect it to be in terms of potential price.
Projected valuation: $372 million
Power 4 rank: No. 40
Arizona State appears poised for a significant rise in these rankings if the Sun Devils can continue their upward trajectory.
Projected valuation: $373 million
Power 4 rank: No. 39
Now that we are well within the Big 12’s top-valued programs, we are nearing the $400 million mark. Oklahoma State’s current on-field product does not align with its current valuation, but that appears to be changing. I don’t expect Mike Gundy’s team to be the worst squad in the Big 12 for back-to-back seasons.
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Projected valuation: $440 million
Power 4 rank: No. 33
Another significant jump in these rankings occurs between No. 4 and No. 3, with Texas Tech being valued at $67 million more than Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders fall immediately after the No. 5 and No. 6 teams in the ACC (Virginia Tech and NC State).
2. TCU Horned Frogs
Projected valuation: $523 million
Power 4 rank: No. 30
The Big 12’s two highest valued squads have dramatically higher values than the rest of the conference. Here is what The Athletic had to say about where they slotted the Horned Frogs:
TCU’s location in Fort Worth (a talent-rich, populous area) was an advantage over many of its Big 12 peers. These prices are in line with Sportico’s valuations of the MLS’ Chicago Fire FC, FC Dallas, Orlando City SC, the New England Revolution and Real Salt Lake.
1. Utah Utes
Projected valuation: $539 million
Power 4 rank: No. 29
Utah, although coming off a down season, is one of the more consistent programs in the country, having only one losing season since 2014. Coming in at No. 29, Utah ranks ahead of Missouri, Northwestern, and Illinois but below Miami, North Carolina, and Minnesota.
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