The Athletic's Stewart Mandel is a preseason Penn State believer, placing the Nittany Lions atop his too-early top 25 for 2025. "I'm skeptical they can actually pull it off," Mandel writes, "but on paper, James Franklin's team deserves that status given how many players are returning."

The top nine programs, from Ohio State to Texas A&M, are valued at $1 billion or more. Last month, CNBC ranked the top 75 college sports programs by value, and Ohio State and Texas were ranked Nos. 1 and 2.

Ohio State comes in ahead of the best the SEC has to offer and Big Ten rival Penn State to lead the way in the USA TODAY Sports way-too-early Top 25 for the 2025 season. The No. 1 Buckeyes have to replace quarterback Will Howard but will be able to surround the new starter with an elite collection of skill talent headlined by star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.