Dusty May expects Michigan roster cost to increase, surpass $10 million in 2026-27

As Michigan made its run to a national championship in Year 2 under Dusty May , it did so with a roster that cost more than $10 million , On3’s Pete Nakos reported. Next season, May expects that number to increase. May told Front Office Sports he thinks the roster value will surpass the $10 million it cost in 2025-26.

While he hopes it’s not double the total from this past season, he called it a testament to the national title run, which ended as the Wolverines cut down the nets in Indianapolis. SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter Along the way, Michigan’s players were able to cash in through third-party NIL deals, along with their rev-share dollars from the university. May called that one of the benefits of the current landscape as athletes can capitalize on their name, image and likeness while also bringing visibility to their schools.

“We do,” May said when asked by Baker Machado about whether he thinks the roster cost will increase. “Obviously, our guys have been able to generate a lot of revenue outside of what they were contracted for throughout the season. Postseason, the autograph signings, the restaurants, the hotels that are basically hiring our guys like they formerly did coaches.

So yeah, that number has actually increased. The 10 [million] has increased since the season. We anticipate it to be much greater next year because of the job our players did this past season.