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Former college football head coach Urban Meyer predicts something in the sport must change its financials as several programs are operating at a steep loss. Michael Snyder / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Urban Meyer expects college football shakeup amid budget shortfalls

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 8:57 AM ET

Urban Meyer expects a college football correction, not a tweak. On Thursday’s episode of The Triple Option podcast, the former Florida and Ohio State head coach said the sport’s spending model has outrun its revenues and donor patience, and that the coming months will force hard choices.

He framed the squeeze in plain language: schools are running out of money, buyouts could fade, and the facilities arms race has likely peaked. For Meyer, this is not abstract theory, it is feedback from the people who balance the books.

“This comes from two assistant athletic directors I spoke with, one last week and one over the weekend, and the comment was the same: ‘We have no money.’ So when you start seeing the excess revenue that materialized probably 15 years ago in college sports, where did it go? Coaches’ salaries and facilities.”

He added, “I’m wondering if you’re going to see the buyouts disappear, or if schools just won’t fire guys. And I think the day of the $37 million locker room is over.”

Meyer Points To Vanishing Buyouts And Facility Pullbacks

Meyer’s message is rooted in immediate pressures, not distant forecasts. He referenced public comments about a significant deficit at Michigan, and described a landscape where athletic departments are confronting the end of easy fixes.

“From what I’m hearing, there’s no money,” Meyer said, arguing that spending will move to the people performing on the field rather than the next locker room showpiece. He warned that donor “money veins are getting tapped,” and that boosters will eventually say they cannot give more.

Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The implication is a new operating reality: fewer midseason ousters with eight-figure buyouts, a cooler market for gold-plated renovations, and tougher internal decisions as schools prioritize roster costs and competitive necessities.

“It’s a developing situation,” Meyer said. “Keep an eye on the buyouts, the locker rooms, the facilities, and the NIL deals.” Read together, his remarks suggest a sport turning from vanity metrics to value, where accountability for dollars spent grows sharper and administrative patience for red ink runs thinner.

Big Ten Budget Gaps Underscore The Pressure

The financial stress Meyer described already shows up on ledgers. Ohio State reported an operating deficit of more than $37 million for the most recent fiscal year, with $292.7 million in expenses against $254.9 million in operating revenue.

Athletic director Ross Bjork called the result “not ideal,” but said a plan is in place to balance going forward, with reserves and earnings covering the shortfall. Contributing factors included fewer home football dates and a drop in ticket revenue, alongside lower royalties, licensing, sponsorships, and contributions, while severance costs climbed past $9 million, including the buyout of former men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Across the conference footprint, other departments are in the red as well, and the next wave is nearing: revenue sharing tied to House v. NCAA is projected to exceed $20 million per Power Four school next year. Layer in the escalating costs of coaching salaries, buyouts, facilities, travel, and scholarships, and the picture aligns with Meyer’s thesis.

The market is pushing schools to trade amenities for efficiency, to justify every dollar against wins and athlete support, and to rethink the instinct to spend their way out of problems.

This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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