Alabama’s 2023 recruiting cycle produced another No. 1 class for Nick Saban. Per a recent report, the Crimson Tide saved a bit of money doing so compared to its peers.

Alabama spent $2,324,470 on recruiting in the 2022 fiscal year. That ranks seventh in the country and fourth in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia racked up over $4.5 million in costs, leading the nation for the sixth year in a row. Auburn, comparatively, was 16th overall in 2022 with $1.3 million spent. The data was published by USA TODAY Sports in partnership with the Knight-Newhouse Data project at Syracuse University.

The Crimson Tide’s budget was up from $527,662 in 2021 as athletic departments readjusted their spending after the pandemic. The report considered expenses as “transportation, lodging and meals for recruits, additional personnel for official and unofficial visits, phone charges and postage for pursuing recruits and the value of schools’ vehicles and planes or those used by the school for recruiting.” The salaries of coaches or a program’s various recruiting staffers were not included.

Lavish spending on memorable weekends for recruits or sparing no expense to get coaches scouting on Friday nights in the fall isn’t new to the sport. The Athletic published a story last fall detailing when the Longhorns hosted No. 1 quarterback Arch Manning over a June weekend that cost $280,000. Texas later signed Manning.

It should be noted that the recruiting budget doesn’t include any name, image and likeness deals signed by collegiate athletes. Under NCAA rules, schools can’t directly engage in pay-for-play deals. Instead, booster-funded collectives, many of which have direct ties to the universities they wish to promote, negotiate contracts with players once they’ve committed.

Alabama ranks third overall in its total spending across the last six years ($11,472,302). Georgia has spent $5 million more, yet the Crimson Tide has accumulated more No. 1 recruiting classes per the 247Sports Composite. Last year, Alabama signed the two best prospects from the Peach State in five-stars Caleb Downs and Justice Haynes.

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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].