2. Stanford Cardinal

Forbes.com: The Best College Football Teams for the Money

Cost per win: $1,522,942
3-year football expenses: $48 million
Conference: PAC-12

Stanford will play Wisconsin in this year's Rose Bowl, the team's third consecutive BCS bowl appearance. The Cardinal hasn't lost more than two games in a season since 2009. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

The Best College... To find the best college football teams for the money, we looked at each team's three-year-average of spending per win, using the most recent financial data made available by the Department of Education (2009-10 through 2011-12) and the three most recent seasons played, not including this year's bowl games.

Our methodology operates under the rationale that much of one year's spending contributes to the following year's on-field performance. We limited our scope to teams that have been members of an automatic-qualifying conference for the last three seasons, and we adjusted each season's win total to reflect a 12-game schedule to account for conference championships and bowl games. (Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Kansas State ... Cost per win: $1,445,623
3-year football expenses: $38 million
Conference: Big 12

The Wildcats have lost just four games over the last two seasons despite spending less on football than almost every other team from an automatic-qualifying conference. (Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Stanford Card... Cost per win: $1,522,942
3-year football expenses: $48 million
Conference: PAC-12

Stanford will play Wisconsin in this year's Rose Bowl, the team's third consecutive BCS bowl appearance. The Cardinal hasn't lost more than two games in a season since 2009. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. NC State Wolf... Cost per win: $1,580,752
3-year football expenses: $36 million
Conference: ACC

The Wolfpack haven't been spectacular on the field lately, but only Connecticut and Mississippi have spent less on football than NC State from 2009 to 2011. The team's cost efficiency still wasn't enough to save head coach Tom O'Brien's job, however, as he was fired this year after six seasons with the team. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Mississippi S... Cost per win: $1,632,143
3-year football expenses: $37 million
Conference: SEC

Mississippi State is another one of the few schools able to keep football expenses under $40 million from 2009 through 2011. The Bulldogs also got off to a great start this season, going 7-0 prior to playing a rough string of games against Alabama, Texas A&M and LSU. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Connecticut H... Cost per win: $1,728,745
3-year football expenses: $30 million
Conference: Big East

Though unspectacular on the gridiron - UConn will not play in a bowl game for the second consecutive season this year - the Huskies are among college football's best teams for the money thanks to the lowest football expenses of any team from an automatic-qualifying conference. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Oregon Ducks Cost per win: $1,798,091
3-year football expenses: $58 million
Conference: PAC-12

The Ducks are the best example of when big football spending pays off. Oregon is going to its fourth consecutive BCS bowl this season and has lost just four games over the last three years, including a loss to Auburn in the 2011 title game. (Getty Images)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. LSU Tigers Cost per win: $1,895,182
3-year football expenses: $59 million
Conference: SEC

LSU is the biggest spender one our list, and only 15 teams have spent more than the Tigers from 2009 through 2011. Like Oregon, LSU's high spending has translated to outstanding success on the field, including an undefeated regular season en route to a failed title shot against Alabama last year. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Oklahoma Soon... Cost per win: $1,903,601
3-year football expenses: $56 million
Conference: Big 12

The Sooners were edged out of a near-certain BCS bid this season when Northern Illinois jumped to No. 15 in the BCS rankings, claiming an automatic BCS berth. Yet Oklahoma's tradition of big football spending has paid off in the past, as the team has won fewer than 10 games just twice in the last decade. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. North Carolin... Cost per win: $1,925,590
3-year football expenses: $42 million
Conference: ACC

NCAA sanctions will keep UNC out of bowl game play this year, but the team has lately been able to manage enough victories for bowl eligibility despite below-average spending. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Baylor Bears Cost per win: $2,031,210
3-year football expenses: $46 million
Conference: Big 12

Baylor has won at least seven games in each of the last three seasons, and the Bears have made an especially fun habit of upsetting highly-ranked opponents, including #1 Kansas State this year and #5 Oklahoma in 2011. (AP Photo)

More From Forbes:
The Worst College Football Teams for the Money
College Football's Most Powerful Head Coaches
College Football’s Most Valuable Teams

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
More on Forbes.c... Click here to see college football’s most valuable teams.