Just like every other college football ranking, the Oklahoma Sooners are also near the top when it comes to how valuable the program is, and that should be to no surprise.
The Athletic released valuation projections based on a hypothetical situation if each college football program was for sale and what they would sell for. Oklahoma was tied with USC at No. 7 with a 2026 projected value of $1.6 billion (yes, that's with a B). The only programs ahead of OU were Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia and Alabama, respectively, with UT, OSU, Notre Dame and Michigan surpassing the $2 billion mark.
What stood out from the top 10 is that it included programs only from the SEC and Big Ten, plus Notre Dame. There are obviously different levels of Power 4 programs, as no team from the Big 12 or ACC even cracked the top 15, with Miami being the highest from that group at No. 18. The top Big 12 program was Utah (surprise) at No. 26 with a value of $638 million. Oklahoma State, now unable to sell Mike Gundy's mullet, was 42nd at $389 million.
How much would it take to buy an NCAA football team on the open market?
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 28, 2026
We’re exploring theoretical sales prices, which are not the same as what teams are actually worth. pic.twitter.com/ofPkuAHsjF
SEC move and the likes of Brian Bosworth influence OU's billion-dollar value
As if it wasn't already obvious only two years later or fans needed more reassurance, this was just another metric to prove how beneficial the Sooners' move from the Big 12 to the SEC was. As cool as it would be to see OU top the Big 12, it still likely wouldn't be in the top 10 in all of college football like it is now or have even reached that billion-dollar mark yet.
Oklahoma is no longer just a big fish in a small pond with no room to grow, but is getting fed well enough between massive TV deals, better talent and more marquee games to draw attention to feast with the rest of the sharks of college football instead of becoming Big 12 bait.
The Sooners mean more than just a conference, though.
This value is based on things like brand recognition and market value and marketability. There's no denying the crimson interlocking O and U and the Sooner Schooner are two of the most iconic symbols in college football. It doesn't matter where you are in the country, if you say just two letters, "O-U," fans immediately think the Sooners.
And that doesn't happen within just two years. There's a reason the SEC wanted the Sooners in the first place. OU is a program built on decades of winning, tradition and players like The Boz and Baker Mayfield becoming legends beyond Sooner Nation.
Read more: Ranking Oklahoma's 5 best football traditions
You want marketability? Just this week, Dr. Pepper chose Norman to paint a water tower as part of its longtime Fansville ad campaign, which Brian Bosworth stars in, to create a new college football landmark. Even NFL fans throughout a season can turn on a TV to not only see The Boz, but a commercial break won't pass without Mayfield or Jalen Hurts or Lane Johnson or another former Sooner popping up.
Everyone wants a piece of OU, and sometimes it's overlooked how valuable even those 30 seconds can be to the program.
And this isn't all meaningless. There's no denying the logo on a helmet has influence on the CFP selection committee and it definitely matters to recruits. The Sooners can't win a championship without elite talent and getting a seat at the table, and nothing is more valuable than a national championship.
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