UT football players may not top any national rankings at the moment, but they do rank No. 1 in one area — individual financial value.
A recent analysis conducted by Business Insider (BI) calculated that each of the 85 players who are awarded scholarships were valued at an estimated $578,000 per individual, averaging more than any other college player in the country.
The study referenced the University’s 2012 football revenue, which totaled $104.5 million. BI then calculated individual players’ hypothetical salary if UT abided by the same collective bargaining agreements within the NFL — wherein players receive a minimum 47 percent of all revenue.
According to a 2011 report by Business of College Sports, UT football players are only given scholarships collectively amounting to 3.2 percent of football-related revenue.
This number is common among other universities: such as Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, paying 4.2 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively.
Iowa State, however, whom the Longhorns face off against Saturday, pays 10.6 percent.