Sport: College Sports Category: Transactions

Learfield CEO discusses $40M college football rosters and jersey patch boom

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 18, 2026, 5:39 PM

Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Learfield CEO discusses $40M college football rosters and jersey patch boom

Summary

Cole Gahagan, CEO of Learfield, spoke with Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports about the current state of college sports and the financial implications of name, image, and likeness legislation. He discussed reports of top programs spending $40 to $50 million on football rosters and highlighted the rapid growth in jersey patch deals, with over 40 sold in just seven months. Gahagan also addressed the complexities within the NCAA, suggesting that while issues exist, the system is not beyond repair.

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Key Details

•Learfield CEO Cole Gahagan spoke at Front Office Sports event on September 18, 2026.
•He confirmed reports of $40 to $50 million spent on top football rosters.
•Over 40 jersey patch deals sold by Learfield in seven months.
•Gahagan emphasized issues within college sports but stated it is not broken.
•Discussion included NCAA's evolving related to NIL spending.

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