The name, image and likeness licensing and revenue sharing eras are here to stay, whether fans like it or not. As a result, the price to field a top-tier roster seems to be going up each season. So, that begs the question: where do the Oklahoma Sooners rank? According to data CBS Sports acquired from a survey of general managers at the 2026 Personnel Symposium, Power Four programs have an average roster cost of $22.5 million this season.CBS put every Power Four program into one of four tiers: above-$40 million, above-$30 million, above-$20 million and under-$20 million tiers. The SEC is the only conference without a team that spent less than $20 million on its roster. The LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns were the only SEC rosters over $40 million.The Sooners were in the over $30 million tier along with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee. This might come as a surprise to some who tried to label Oklahoma as "brokelahoma." The reality is the Sooners are very competitive in the player compensation world.No, they can't spend the outrageous money LSU, Texas, Oregon, Ohio State and Miami do, but they can still be very competitive with the rest of college football. As we've seen, the best teams aren't always the ones who spend the most; they're the ones who invest in the right pieces and have the coaching staff in place to take them to the next level.What matters most for Oklahoma is how it uses the resources available to it. The Sooners have targeted positions of need, added proven transfers and retained important contributors from last year's College Football Playoff team. That approach could become even more important as the player compensation market continues to mature. Simply spending more than everyone else doesn't guarantee success, particularly when the gap between the highest-spending programs continues to grow.Oklahoma's position in the above-$30 million tier shows the Sooners have resources to compete. The challenge for general manager Jim Nagy and coach Brent Venables is making sure that money translates into production on the field.For a program trying to establish itself as a consistent College Football Playoff contender, that's the real takeaway. Oklahoma may not be the biggest spender in the country, but it isn't operating from a position of weakness, either. The Sooners are spending at a level that gives them a legitimate chance to compete with the nation's best, and now they have to prove they can turn that investment into championships. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: How much did Oklahoma spend on its 2026 football roster?

Source: Yahoo Sports