Be a GM: College - the college football GM simulator

Run one full offseason for any of 68 power-conference programs. Your school's NIL budget is estimated from real numbers - athletics revenue, projected revenue share, third-party collective money - and every decision spends it: countering a rival's offer for your left tackle, bidding on a portal quarterback, funding the recruiting class. When the roster is set, the season plays out and tells you whether the plan worked. Free, in the browser.

Frequently asked questions

What is Be a GM: College?

A free college football GM simulator. You run a real program's 2026 offseason: set the NIL budget, fight off rival programs poaching your stars, shop the transfer portal, and sign the incoming class - then play the season you built.

Are the NIL budgets real?

They are estimates built from public numbers: each school's reported athletics revenue, an estimated football revenue share, and a third-party NIL band, anchored to reported figures where they exist. Every program carries its own budget - Texas money and Iowa State money are very different jobs.

Which schools can I run?

All 68 power-conference programs: the full SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC, plus the major independents. Each card on the grid shows the program's estimated NIL spend for 2026.

How do poaching and the transfer portal work?

Rival programs put real money on the table for your players, and you decide whether to counter or let them walk - being the home school keeps a player on a near-tie. In the portal you bid on players from other rosters, with asking prices shaped by usage, production, and how far they'd be moving.

Is Be a GM: College free?

Yes. You can run an offseason every day without an account; a free account raises the daily limit, and Pro removes it.

Is there an NFL version?

Yes - Be a GM, the NFL front-office simulator: salary cap, cuts, trades, franchise tags, and the draft for any of the 32 teams.