It is no secret that big-time college football teams make a lot of money for their schools. Some of the excess is being pumped into the facilities — and they're starting to look more like luxury resorts.
Of the 1,062 colleges and universities that field varsity athletic teams under the banner of the NCAA, only 396 — fewer than half — made at least $10 million off their sports teams in 2022, the most recent year with available data from the Department of Education. Only 56 — about 5% — made at least $100 million.
Men's and women's basketball teams are often profitable at the schools that make the most money, but the vast majority of the revenue typically comes from football teams. So, the revenue is often pumped back into the football program to build swanky facilities to help sway potential recruits.
When the University of Texas renovated its locker room, former head coach Tom Herman spoke about the relationship between high-end facilities and recruiting.
"This locker room shows we have the very best tools in the country," Herman said. "The lockers affect recruiting because the kids we're recruiting are the same ones that some of the best schools in the nation are recruiting. A scholarship is a scholarship is a scholarship, no matter where you go. It's about how you differentiate yourself."
Below, we look at some of the locker rooms built in recent years at the top college football programs.