Missouri wins more than its budget suggests it should. The Tigers’ 2026 roster budget is estimated at $27 to $30 million, the lowest figure among the SEC programs reported and near the bottom of the national table.
| SEC program | Estimated 2026 roster budget |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | Reported above $40M |
| South Carolina | $32M to $35M |
| Auburn | $31M to $35M |
| Georgia | $31M to $34M |
| Oklahoma | $28M to $34M |
| Missouri | $27M to $30M |
Estimates published by The Athletic in September 2026. Roster budgets are not disclosed.
Spending Last, Finishing Better
Missouri went 8-4 in 2025 and entered 2026 ranked, which is a return most programs spending $10 million more did not manage. Eli Drinkwitz has built through evaluation and retention rather than winning bidding wars, and the budget figure is the clearest evidence of that approach.
Whether it holds is the open question. Tennessee is reported above $40 million, Texas A&M and LSU higher still, and Missouri plays all of them on a rotating basis under the SEC’s nine game conference schedule. Sustaining results at the bottom of the spending table gets harder every year the gap widens.
Reading These Numbers
None of this is disclosed. The Athletic noted that everyone close to these budgets has reason to shade the number, and On3 changed its valuation model on July 1, 2026 from estimating marketing potential to tracking contract value, so figures from before and after are not comparable.
Our explainer on NIL valuation versus actual earnings covers the distinction, and the Tigers’ season is on our Missouri schedule page.
The Bottom Line
Missouri’s roster budget is estimated at $27 to $30 million, the lowest of the SEC programs reported, while the team has finished ahead of several schools spending considerably more.