A new report has put a number on where Washington stands financially in the Big Ten, and it’s not near the top.
According to The Athletic’s breakdown of spending across all 68 Power Four programs, the Huskies are operating in the $21-25 million range on their football roster. That places Washington toward the low end among teams at its level, even as the program has tried to build itself into a steady Big Ten contender.
That climb has been a work in progress since the Huskies joined the conference. Under head coach Jedd Fisch, now in his third year in the job, Washington has been trying to close the gap on the league’s heavyweights, including Ohio State, Oregon and the defending national champions, Indiana. So far, the Huskies have not reached that upper tier.
There has been progress on the recruiting front, though, and that’s where the spending figure gets especially interesting. Fisch’s first full class in 2025 ranked 23rd nationally in the 247Sports composite.
The 2026 class took a bigger step, landing at No. 12 and marking the highest-ranked class in program history. The 2027 class is currently 24th in the country.
Washington is also in the mix for more talent in the 2028 cycle. The Huskies are considered the front-runners for five-star edge rusher Jalanie George and recently hosted the highest-graded offensive tackle in that class, Antijuan Wilkes Jr.
The transfer portal, however, has been a different story. Washington did bring in players from major programs this past offseason, including wide receiver Bodpegn Miller and edge rusher Logan George from Ohio State, defensive tackle Kai McClendon from Mississippi State and running back Jayden Limar from Oregon. But the fit and profile of those additions came with caveats: Miller is still developing after switching from quarterback to receiver, George and McClendon were coming off injuries, and Limar had spent three years as a backup at Oregon.
The rest of the portal haul leaned much more heavily on Group of Six and FCS stops. Offensive lineman Kolt Dieterich came from Sam Houston State, defensive tackles Darin Conley and DeSean Watts arrived from Ball State and Sacramento State, respectively, running back Trey Cooley transferred in from Troy and wide receiver Christian Moss came from Kennesaw State.
Cornerback Emmanuel Karnley was the lone exception to that pattern, though he was also a familiar face for Fisch after being recruited by him and briefly playing under him at Arizona.
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