In college athletics, the gap between the haves and have-nots is growing—especially in football, where elite programs hoard top recruits, resources, and public attention. As a result, smaller and mid-major institutions find themselves stuck in an exhausting cycle of underperformance and attrition.
Football remains the flagship of college sports—and the most glaring example of imbalance. Between 2013 and 2016, only 23 percent of FBS schools landed at least one five-star recruit, averaging a little more than one such player per year. In one cycle, Alabama alone claimed seven five-star recruits, while the majority of programs saw none.
This concentration creates a feedback loop: top schools win, which attracts more recruits, which drives even more success.
Even within local high schools, top athletes look to attend powerful programs that have already established a winning culture.
Senior football players Jase Reynolds and Barry Fries are both committed to University Nebraska Lincoln and Iowa State, respectively. Both have many opportunities to go play college football at smaller schools, which would give them a better chance at making an immediate impact. Yet, they chose the bigger schools.
“I just loved the facilities and the coaching staff. I preferred the comfort and home feeling that Nebraska gave me,” said Reynolds. “I know the program is heading in the right direction and I want to be a part of that.”
“I have always wanted to play at a big school,” said Fries. “I debated going to a smaller school for a better chance at immediate playing time, but my heart always told me that Iowa State was my future home.”
These players want to go to a big school to try and make a name for themselves, which is great for them, but where does that leave the colleges who don’t have the status of Power 5 programs?
Even after the rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights, the landscape hasn’t fundamentally changed. While top‑10 recruits now scatter among more schools, that distribution remains heavily weighted toward Power 5 schools
There are many reasons for this imbalance, but one stands alone: Money. In Philadelphia, institutions like Temple and Villanova struggle to keep pace. Temple’s new coach described their recruiting reality bluntly: “almost every player we lost… we got outbid.” The school must ask alumni for donations just to offer players a little financial comfort—even as Power Four programs dedicate up to 75 percent of their $20.5 million budgets to football.
Adding to the pressure, high-profile NIL deals fuel the chase. A LSU-bound recruit was swayed by a $10 million NIL agreement backed by billionaire Larry Ellison, showcasing how financial inducements are shaping commitments.
The imbalance extends beyond football. Only 23 of 228 Division I programs break even financially; most others rely on student fees or subsidies. Per-athlete spending in big programs can exceed $90,000 which is seven times the average per-student amount.
Smaller schools often rely on athletes for institutional survival. Between 2000 and 2020, athlete numbers rose 45 percent while overall undergraduates grew only 33 percent. At some liberal arts colleges, athletes now comprise over half the student body.
All these forces conspire to create an unforgiving cycle. Elite schools recruit and retain top athletes via better pay, media, facilities, and coaching. Lower-tier schools lose talent to transfers, NIL offers, or simply lack the resources to compete. Success brings more success—media, donations, and recruiting power flow to successful programs. Struggling programs fall further behind, sliding towards irrelevance.
If unchecked, this trend could reshape college sports entirely. But such efforts are rare exceptions. Without structural reforms, like revenue sharing, stricter NIL oversight, or revised recruiting rules, the gap will likely widen further.
If the NCAA, lawmakers, and college leadership are serious about fairness, they must confront a reality where success is no longer determined by talent alone, but by who has the deepest pockets, the brightest spotlight, and the loudest booster voices.
