Michigan football is given tier-1 status by EA Sports

Not that Michigan football fans needed a reminder of all the recent success we have enjoyed, but EA Sports released a tier system to pay schools for EA Sports College Football 25. There are four tiers total and Michigan is in the No. 1 tier where it belongs.

Joining the Wolverines are the typical programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Penn State. There are others you might not expect like Utah, Iowa, and Oklahoma State.

EA Sports is paying colleges for CFB25 based on a tier system using AP Poll finishes from the past 10 years👀

Tier 1: $99,875.16
Tier 2: $59,925.09
Tier 3: $39,950.06
Tier 4: $9,987.52

(via @cllctMedia) pic.twitter.com/tFYOO4In3n

— On3 (@On3sports) May 24, 2024

Why Michigan is a tier-1 team

The tiers were based on AP poll finishes over the last 10 seasons. Michigan football finished in the top 25 in seven of those 10 seasons. The first one was the final season under Brady Hoke.

Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to seven top-18 finishes (6 in top 15) in his nine years as the head coach including three straight top-three finishes from 2021-2023. Michigan football took the No. 1 spot this past season after a 15-0 campaign and the first national championship since 1997.

Michigan State ended up in tier two, which is probably where they belong, although in the past couple of seasons, they have looked more like Tier-4 material. That’s where Nebraska sits right now.

Iowa being a tier-1 program is surprising but shouldn’t be. The Hawkeyes haven’t won any conference championships, but they made it to the Big Ten title game a few times and generally make a decent bowl game.

Teams in the higher tier will get higher payouts from EA Sports. The money doesn’t seem all that significant, but it’s another reminder of how much success Michigan football had under Jim Harbaugh.

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