School Hub · SEC
Tennessee— Schedule, Roster & News
Estimated NIL Spend
$50M
2025–26 est.
Top Sport
Football
$33M
Reloaded around five-star Faizon Brandon
One of the SEC's biggest budgets (Rick Barnes)
Recent national champion
SEC funding
Hover any row for total spend & share of program budget.
Tennessee ranks #8 nationally in estimated NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) spending for the 2025–26 athletic year, with a combined budget of $50M across all sports. As a Power 4 program in the SEC, Tennesseecompetes with the nation's top revenue-sharing and collective-funded programs to attract and retain top recruits, transfer-portal talent, and returning starters.
The Sideline's NIL Tracker compiles Tennessee's reported NIL figures from publicly disclosed contracts, collective funding announcements, athletic department reporting, and cross-referenced industry sources. Numbers reflect estimates of Tennessee's 2026 NIL budget allocations including football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, and Olympic sports where applicable. Football represents the largest single-sport allocation at $33M.
NIL spending at Tennessee continues to evolve following the House v. NCAA settlement, which permits direct revenue sharing with student-athletes starting in the 2025–26 academic year. Tennessee's figures include both the school's revenue-share allocation and third-party collective deals from boosters and alumni networks. For broader context, view our complete NIL Tracker rankings or compare Tennessee directly to other programs on the NIL Compare tool.
Tennessee is estimated to spend $50M on NIL in the 2025–26 athletic year, including revenue-sharing allocations and third-party collective deals. This ranks #8 nationally among Division I programs.
Tennessee competes in the SEC at the Power 4 level.
Football is Tennessee's top NIL-funded sport with approximately $33M in estimated 2026 spending.
Tennessee's $50M NIL budget can be compared against every SEC program and all 357 Division I schools on The Sideline's NIL Tracker.
Tennessee's NIL budget combines two sources: the school's direct revenue-share allocation (capped at roughly $20.5M industry-wide following the House settlement) and third-party collective deals funded by boosters, alumni, and corporate sponsors.
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Michigan's sign-stealing operation involved staffer Connor Stalions buying tickets to opponents' games months in advance and attending in disguise. He was recognized at a Penn State opponent's game. Michigan won the national title that same season.
Stack Tennessee against any other program — side-by-side NIL spend by sport.
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Michigan's sign-stealing operation involved staffer Connor Stalions buying tickets to opponents' games months in advance and attending in disguise. He was recognized at a Penn State opponent's game. Michigan won the national title that same season.