The Tennessee Vols will not be fielding a “cheap” football team in 2026.

According to a new report from 247Sports, Tennessee is among the top spenders in the SEC, but the Vols aren’t quite at the top.

247Sports reports that LSU, Texas A&M, and Texas are the three programs in the SEC that are spending north of $40 million on their roster (and it’s possible that LSU is closer to $50 million).

Tennessee is one of three programs — along with Georgia and Ole Miss — that are in the mid to high $30 million range.

“Just below that elite tier are Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee in the mid-to-high $30 million range,” noted 247Sports’ Chris Hummer and John Talty. “Georgia quietly spends more than people think, Ole Miss spent big to retain top talent such as Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, and Tennessee has long been one of the most aggressive spenders since the advent of NIL.”

Tennessee would probably be in the $40 million range had Penn State EDGE transfer Chaz Coleman stayed with the team (he was reportedly set to be paid around $2 million) and had the Vols landed a top-tier transfer quarterback such as Sam Leavitt or Ty Simpson (which probably would’ve been in the $5 to $6 million range).

Tennessee will spend even more on its roster in 2027

It wasn’t that long ago that spending $20 million on a roster was viewed as excessive, but SEC teams have quickly blown past that price point.

But hey, that’s what’s required to be competitive. If you don’t spend big money on elite talent, you won’t compete for championships. It’s that simple.

Tennessee’s roster next year will almost certainly cross the $40 million mark as the Vols spend on retaining key talent (including whichever quarterback emerges as the best option), and add players such as five-star 2027 running back David Gabriel Georges, who is set to earn around $2 million as a true freshman.