# Penn State Roster Budget Ranks Outside Top 20

> Penn State football budget ties Clemson at No. 21 nationally with $29-$32m for 2026 roster.
- Title: Penn State Roster Budget Ranks Outside Top 20 | Shortify
- Summary: Penn State football budget ties Clemson at No. 21 nationally with $29-$32m for 2026 roster. Penn State ranks 21st nationally in college football roster…
- Keywords: penn state, clemson, big ten, football, roster budget, 2026, matt campbell, nittany lions, beaver stadium, revenue sharing, nil, transfer portal
- Source: Penn State Nittany Lions On SI — https://si.com/college/pennstate/football/where-penn-state-football-ranks-in-college-football-roster-budget-race
- Published: 2026-09-16T15:13:52+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: penn state, clemson, big ten, football, roster budget, 2026, matt campbell, nittany lions, beaver stadium, revenue sharing, nil, transfer portal
## Penn State Fires James Franklin
Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft announced the next football coach would have 'elite resources' after firing James Franklin last fall.
## Penn State Budget Ranks 21st
The Athletic reports Penn State ranks outside top 20 for 2026 football roster budget at $29-$32 million, tying Clemson nationally.
## Big Ten Ranking
Penn State ranks seventh in Big Ten, far behind national leaders Ohio State and Oregon with $49-$54 million budgets.
## Budget Estimation Challenges
Football budgets are hard to pin down as stakeholders incentivize overstatement or undervaluation.
## Penn State Estimate Aligns
Penn State's $29-$32m estimate matches most offseason valuations including Mike Villagrana's assessment.
## Penn State Current Record
Penn State is 2-0 under Matt Campbell with 72-9 lead over Marshall and Temple opponents.
## Next Game Schedule
Penn State will face Wisconsin in Big Ten opener on Sept 26 after not playing Power 4 opponents until then.
## NIL Era Impact
Penn State's spending has been solid but behind major programs since NIL era began in 2021.
## 2026 Roster Budget Challenge
Campbell must divide $30m between signing 62 new players and retaining 50 from 2025 team.
## 62 New Players
Penn State has 62 new players this season, 40 signed through transfer portal.
## Retained Players
Campbell weighed costs of retaining top-line Nittany Lions from 2025 roster including Tony Rojas, Anthony Donkoh, Cooper Cousins, Andrew Rappleyea, Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson.
## Derek Hoodjer's Priority
Hoodjer prioritized defining who among returning players fit program's character and football needs.
## Transfer Portal Benefits
Campbell signed 24 transfers from Iowa State roster including quarterback Rocco Becht, tight end Ben Brahmer, linebacker Kooper Ebel and safeties Jeremiah Cooper and Marcus Neal Jr.
## Discounted Transfers
Villagrana noted Campbell's culture and relationships helped package transfers at discount at Penn State.
## Future Budget Concerns
Campbell warned 2026 salary numbers will continue rising without guardrails.
## Financial Strategy
Kraft believes Penn State will be competitive financially with $1 billion guaranteed future athletics revenue.
## Campbell's Resource Shift
Campbell described being in a 'vastly different spot' regarding resources at Penn State than at Iowa State.
## Key takeaway

Penn State ranks 21st nationally in college football roster budgets with $29-$32 million for 2026, tied with Clemson.