NIL.

When all is said and done for 2026, I believe Nebraska will have proven they're one of the best at getting the most from their investment. We'll see. But it should be noted that in the grand scheme of things, Nebraska's investment can only be classified as 'above average.'

That's one of Rhule's beefs: We expect elite athletes and performances but apparently are unwilling to pay for it.

But one of the things about these lists that's most striking to me is how the millions pouring in keep escalating each year. Nebraska has one of these most fiscally sound athletic departments in the country yet we're middle-of-the-road. How in the world are all of these other programs investing money they don't have???!?? It is not sustainable.