Report: Big Ten programs spent 57 percent more on recruiting in 2013 compared to 2011

It is no secret that the SEC has dominated the landscape of college football over the past decade – both on the field and in the world of recruiting. Programs in the Big Ten have certainly taken notice, and a report from Scott Dochterman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette shows a substantial increase in spending on recruiting since 2011.

Per The Gazette:

Big Ten public schools have increased their football recruiting expenses by 57 percent in a two-year period, according to documents supplied to The Gazette via state open-records laws. The league’s current 11 public schools combined to spent nearly $6.47 in football recruiting in fiscal year 2013. That’s a jump from $4.1 million in 2011.

Notably, Penn State, in its transition from Joe Paterno to Bill O’Brien, upped its recruiting expenses from $258,800 in 2011 to $736,739 in 2013 – an increase of nearly 185 percent.

Nebraska, in its move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, nearly doubled its spending $478,554 in 2011 to $818,509 in 2013, the most in the conference.

Additionally, Wisconsin, one of the conference’s top performers, is dead last on the list in the past three seasons, spending just $256,967 in 2013.

Dochterman points out that many Big Ten programs have seen an increase in “non-coaching positions,” including player personnel and multiple recruiting staff members, over the past few seasons. Thirteen of the conference’s 14 programs, including incoming members Maryland and Rutgers, employ a director of player personnel.

Still, these changes do not compare to the SEC.

Every SEC football program has at least two non-coaching employees that works in recruiting. Alabama has three player personnel directors and a recruiting operations coordinator along with eight football analysts. Ole Miss employs separate associate athletics directors for recruiting and for high school/junior-college relations, an assistant recruiting director, two coordinators for recruiting development, a recruiting assistant and two staff coaches who separately coordinate offensive and defensive prospects.

The full list of Big Ten recruiting costs is below, and you’ll notice that spending does not always see positive results in recruiting rankings (I’m looking at you, Illinois).

Northwestern is a private university, so it is not bound to provide expenses by state open-records laws.

Illinois: $545,363 (2011), $614,529 (2012), $791,972 (2013)

Indiana: $270,134 (2011), $393,764 (2012), $402,262 (2013)

Iowa: $307,226 (2011), $403,305 (2012), $477,455 (2013)

Michigan: $577,633 (2011), $493,464 (2012), $664,492 (2013)

Michigan State: $383,448 (2011), $421,944 (2012), $627,592 (2013)

Minnesota: $348,609 (2011), $543,994 (2012), $648,755 (2013)

Nebraska: $478,554 (2011), $752,681 (2012), $818,509 (2013)

Ohio State: $320,938 (2011), $344,987 (2012), $564,152 (2013)

Penn State: $258,800 (2011), $443,022 (2012), $736,739 (2013)

Purdue: $428,805 (2011), $404,385 (2012), $480,168 (2013)

Wisconsin: $204,181 (2011), $212,045 (2012), $256,967 (2013)