Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 197: The Real Salary Cap In College Sports Is A Lot More Than $20 Million, And It's A Number Few Wish To Say Out Loud | Darren Heitner

College football GMs and agents told ESPN what a starting lineup actually costs this year. Do the math on the midpoints, and it's roughly $16.2M for 25 players against a $21.3M cap meant to cover the whole department. The real cap isn't the one on paper. https://t.co/qjGqjcXR4L

— Darren Heitner (@heitner) August 14, 2026