​ATHENS, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 15: Texas Longhorns director of athletics Chris Del Conte looks on prior to the game between the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on November 15, 2025 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Athletic recently evaluated the top college football programs. As expected, Texas football came out on top, with a whopping $2.46 billion evaluation — equal to about what it cost for Las Vegas to build its infamous Sphere (which cost a little less, in fact, at $2.3 billion.)Here’s how The Athletic broke it down: “The Longhorns, somewhat surprisingly, didn’t report the most football revenue in the 2024-25 fiscal year (we’ll come back to that a couple spots later). But Texas’ three-year average ($190 million) is No. 1 in the country and enough to stay No. 1 on our list. Our valuation puts Texas on par with the 2020 sale of the New York Mets ($2.4 billion, not adjusted for inflation). The Longhorns have elite resources, an ideal location and a spot in a premier conference. The only thing missing is a recent national championship, although Arch Manning’s team should be in the conversation this year. Then again, we thought the same thing last season.”Bringing up the rear behind the Longhorns were Ohio State and Notre Dame, albeit predictably. Then, Michigan and Texas’ burgeoning SEC rival, Georgia. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS Austin American-Statesman: 5 key questions for Texas volleyball as Longhorns begin summer workouts247Sports: The 25 Texas players who will have the most influence on the outcome of the Longhorns’ 2026 season247Sports: Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian clarifies his comments around ‘letting players go’ this offseasonInside Texas: Is Will Muschamp Texas football’s biggest x-factor?Inside Texas: Do premier college football programs bounce back from down years in the NFL Draft? A Texas case study on returning talent and expectationsInside Texas: Texas Football Fall Camp Insider Notes: Why Biles and McDonald are headed for monster yearsICYMI IN BURNT ORANGE NATION Campbell transfer OF Carlos Lugo commits to TexasFormer Texas RB Jonathan Brooks reportedly ‘fully healthy’Former LSU coach Brian Kelly picks Texas football as favorite to win 2026 national titleRECRUITING ROUNDUP 247Sports: IMG Academy recruiting intel: Five-star QB Jayden Wade leads media day buzz on top 2027, 2028, 2029 prospectsInside Texas: Recruiting Humidor: Over 24 hours from Landen Williams-Callis announcement, details on 2028 OLsInside Texas: Decision Preview 2.0: Texas fighting Texas A&M, Missouri, UH, and SMU for RB Landen Williams-CallisSEC SHOWDOWN Rock M Nation: Questions for 2026 Mizzou football as fall camp nearsAnd The Valley Shook: MLB Draft signing deadline has passed — how did LSU fare?Rocky Top Talk: NCAA gives Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter two-game suspensionAnchor Of Gold: Vanderbilt Football 2026 Position Preview: Running Bac