College football teams are dropping millions on state-of-the-art locker rooms. Here are some of the most jaw-dropping upgrades.

In 2019, the University of Texas spent $10 million renovating its athletic center, and $7 million went to the football locker room alone.

The stars of the show were new custom-designed lockers that cost about $8,700 each, made by Longhorn Lockers, a company that has also made lockers for other top programs, including Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and Stanford.

The lockers are stainless steel instead of wood, which allows them to have an anti-bacterial feature and reduces odors. Each locker also has its own 37-inch television on top, which is basically just the world’s most expensive nameplate.

The lockers come with plenty of bells and whistles to meet the needs of football players.

The rack at the top of the locker holds the pads and helmet. The helmet holder has a fan to help dry the sweaty helmets, and the locker itself has special ventilation to suck the odors out of the room, an important feature in a modern football locker room.

The lockers at the new University of Florida football facility were also designed by Longhorn Lockers, or the “Mercedes Benz of lockers.“

The chairs recline all the way into a “zero-gravity” position that is supposed to remove pressure from all joints.

The football team is endorsed by Nike’s Jordan Brand, so the Michael Jordan “Jumpman” logo is featured prominently.

Vanderbilt University’s football locker room was renovated in 2023 as part of a $300 million project to improve the athletic facilities at the school. It was designed by Nashville-based Advent.

Vanderbilt football head coach James Franklin spoke about the impact on recruiting.

“I know it has had an impact on recruiting because now we take young men and their families into that locker room,” Franklin said after the locker was revealed. “Right away, you can see their body language, you can see their faces, they start taking pictures.”

Physical and mental recovery is a common theme in these new facilities.

TCU’s new football locker room was also designed by Advent. It looks a bit like a club, which likely appeals to the young men they are recruiting.

The locker room was designed by HOK, the same design firm that is behind most new professional stadiums. Their sports division is now called Populous.

Since the Tigers had just won the championship, the lockers were designed to look like thrones.

Even before the recruits enter the locker room, they are greeted by a “hill” that mimics the hill at Memorial Stadium, where the players enter before each game. There is even a replica of Howard’s Rock at the top of the incline. Players traditionally touch the original rock at the stadium before each game.

In another location, there is a slide for returning to the first floor if you don’t want to take the stairs.

Clemson’s football facility also includes bowling lanes, a basketball court, a putting green, and a putt-putt golf course. There is even a whiffle ball field in another location.

It is a lot of college kids’ dreams come true.

The upgrades at The Ohio State University were part of a $42 million renovation project for the football team.

Georgia’s new locker room was unveiled in 2023 and was part of an $80 million expansion of its football training facility.

Among the many upgrades for the football players at Georgia is access to a barber shop, a dining lounge that looks like a fancy sports bar, and several hydrotherapy pools.

In 2013, Texas A&M raised a record-breaking $740 million, something A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said was directly linked to the success of the football team and the media attention generated by Johnny Manziel.

The school then spent $500 million over the next few years renovating Kyle Field and upgrading the football complex and locker rooms. Of that, $21 million went toward the football locker room and adjacent facilities.

Only 1.6% of college football players will go on to play in the NFL. Of course, that rate is expected to be higher at the top programs, something the school wants to make sure recruits know.

Many of these new locker rooms have displays to show how successful the school is at turning its players into professional athletes.

Adjacent to the Clemson football locker room is a room dedicated for showing off Nike’s latest shoes, equipment, and uniforms.