Oklahoma spent big on recruiting in 2022; how does it compare to their future SEC foes?
Yes, the Oklahoma Sooners are still a part of the Big 12 for one more season. However, the push to sign a top-five recruiting class in the 2023 cycle was more about their future foes than their current ones.
Sorry Big 12. Those are the facts.
Brent Venables’ first calendar year in Norman saw Oklahoma finish the 2022 cycle in a flurry, pushing a recruiting class once decimated by the sudden departure of Lincoln Riley to the No. 8 class in the cycle. The built upon that early success and signed the No. 4 recruiting class in 2023, the best in the modern era of recruiting.
As the saying goes, it takes money to make money.
In a report from USA TODAY Sports, the University of Oklahoma reported recruiting expenses for 2022 were $2.6 million. That was the fifth-highest number among Power Five schools.
Notably, the Sooners spent twice as much in Brent Venables’ first calendar year on recruiting as they did in any year with Lincoln Riley as the head coach.
One could argue that the university didn’t shell out for Riley. The other argument is that Brent Venables has a deep understanding of what it takes to compete with the best recruiting schools in the country, particularly those in the SEC. Seeing the Sooners’ coaching staff go into SEC and ACC territory and pull blue-chip prospects would indicate such.
Venables national championship experience with Clemson is also evidence that the Sooners’ head coach knows what it takes to compete with the best in the country.
Only four teams spent more on recruiting expenses in 2022 than the Oklahoma Sooners. Three of those teams, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Tennessee, belong to the new SEC.
Venables came in with a clear vision to up the facilities and the expenditures to get Oklahoma to match what’s happening in the SEC. In the 2022 calendar year that paid off with their 2023 recruiting class. It’s a big step in the right direction that has to be followed up with further investments.
The two-time national champion Georgia Bulldogs spent nearly $2 million more on recruiting expenses in 2022 than the Oklahoma Sooners. Clearly, their investment is paying off. The Sooners need to continue to build their recruiting budget to keep pace with the top SEC schools in order to put themselves in a position to contend for national championships on a regular basis.
Here’s how reporting expenses are defined.
Recruiting expenses cover transportation, lodging and meals for recruits, additional personnel for official and unofficial visits, phone charges and postage for pursuing recruits and the value of schools’ vehicles and planes or those used by the school for recruiting. Compensation for coaches and recruiting support staff is not included in the recruiting expenses.
Varying accounting systems for athletics departments and/or university can result in a lack of uniformity in how these numbers are compiled for financial reports. USA TODAY Sports Network obtained recruiting expenses for Power Five public universities for the past six years. – Adam Sparks, USA TODAY Sports
Here’s a look at how the future SEC ranks in 2022 recruiting expenses. Vanderbilt, being the lone private institution, is not included as they aren’t required to disclose their books.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $633,482
Six-Year Average: $406,701.00
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 13
Six-Year Average National Rank: 51
LSU Tigers
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $742,713
Six-Year Average: $982,769.00
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 7
Six-Year Average National Rank: 14
Kentucky Wildcats
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $917,657
Six-Year Average: $703,094.17
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 10
Six-Year Average National Rank: 30
South Carolina Gamecocks
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $1,102,357
Six-Year Average: $773,304.33
Six-Year Average Rank: 9
Six-Year Average National Rank: 23
Missouri Tigers
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $1,215,934
Six-Year Average: $699,049.17
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 11
Six-Year Average National Rank: 31
Arkansas Razorbacks
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $1,220,882
Six-Year Average: $1,098,022.17
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 5
Six-Year Average National Rank: 11
Ole Miss Rebels
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $1,269,392
Six-Year Average: $671,713.33
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 12
Six-Year Average National Rank: 35
Auburn Tigers
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $1,307,480
Six-Year Average: $859,270.67
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 8
Six-Year Average National Rank: 19
Florida Gators
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $1,641,320
Six-Year Average: $1,073,675.50
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 6
Six-Year Average National Rank: 19
Alabama Crimson Tide
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $2,324,470
Six-Year Average: $1,912,050.33
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 2
Six-Year Average National Rank: 2
Texas Longhorns
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $2,439,774
Six-Year Average: $1,301,043.50
Six-Year Average Ranked against the future SEC: 5
Six-Year Average National Rank: 7
Oklahoma Sooners
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
2022 Expenditures: $2,632,817
Six-Year Average: $1,256,608
Six-Year Average Ranked against the future SEC: 6
Six-Year Average National Rank: 9
Tennessee Volunteers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $2,918,691
Six-Year Average: $1,788,183.00
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 3
Six-Year Average National Rank: 3
Texas A&M Aggies
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $2,984,168
Six-Year Average: $1,567,746.00
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 4
Six-Year Average National Rank: 5
Georgia Bulldogs
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Expenditures: $4,506,248
Six-Year Average: $2,753,143.17
Six-Year Average SEC Rank: 1
Six-Year Average National Rank: 1
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