The NFL Playoffs are here and I know what you’re wondering: Which colleges are most represented? Well, look no further, my friends. Below, we take a look at all the college affiliations inside of the 2024-25 NFL Playoffs and more.
NFL Playoff Rosters By College
It’s important to note that to count these, we used players both on the practice squad and injured reserve for all 14 NFL teams that made the playoffs this season. In total, that was 1,104 players across the nation. But that’s not why you’re here.
You’re here to see where all the NFL rosters came from before that — their prestigious college or university affiliation.
The 14 NFL rosters that made the playoffs were made up of 201 different colleges from all over the nation — and globe. Let’s break them down, one by one, and then do some fun math about where they came from at the conference level as well.
- Alabama: 37 players
- Georgia: 30 players
- Ohio State: 27 players
- Michigan: 26 players
- Oklahoma: 26 players
- Notre Dame: 24 players
- Florida: 22 players
- LSU: 22 players
- Iowa: 21 players
- Washington: 21 players
- Penn State: 20 players
- Texas: 18 players
- USC: 18 players
- Oregon: 17 players
- Stanford: 17 players
- Pittsburgh: 16 players
- UCLA: 16 players
- Wisconsin: 16 players
- Clemson: 15 players
- Tennessee: 14 players
- Florida State: 13 players
- Ole Miss: 13 players
- Auburn: 12 players
- Illinois: 12 players
- Miami: 12 players
- Texas A&M: 12 players
- Utah: 12 players
- n/a: 11 players
- TCU: 11 players
- Kentucky: 10 players
- North Carolina: 10 players
- Oregon State: 10 players
- Boston College: 9 players
- BYU: 9 players
- Louisville: 9 players
- Maryland: 9 players
- Memphis: 9 players
- Michigan State: 9 players
- Minnesota: 9 players
- Nebraska: 9 players
- SMU: 9 players
- Arkansas: 8 players
- Baylor: 8 players
- Cincinnati: 8 players
- Duke: 8 players
- Iowa State: 8 players
- Mississippi State: 8 players
- NC State: 8 players
- South Carolina: 8 players
- Toledo: 8 players
- Virginia Tech: 8 players
- Buffalo: 7 players
- Fresno State: 7 players
- Houston: 7 players
- Kansas State: 7 players
- Missouri: 7 players
- Oklahoma State: 7 players
- Rutgers: 7 players
- South Dakota State: 7 players
- Temple: 7 players
- Wake Forest: 7 players
- Washington State: 7 players
- App State: 6 players
- Boise State: 6 players
- Marshall: 6 players
- Purdue: 6 players
- West Virginia: 6 players
- Arizona State: 5 players
- Georgia Tech: 5 players
- North Dakota State: 5 players
- San Diego State: 5 players
- Southern Miss: 5 players
- Syracuse: 5 players
- Texas Tech: 5 players
- Tulane: 5 players
- UCF: 5 players
- Vanderbilt: 5 players
- Western Kentucky: 5 players
- Arizona: 4 players
- Central Michigan: 4 players
- Charlotte: 4 players
- Eastern Michigan: 4 players
- Florida Atlantic: 4 players
- Florida International: 4 players
- Indiana: 4 players
- Northern Illinois: 4 players
- Rice: 4 players
- Samford: 4 players
- UConn: 4 players
- UTSA: 4 players
- Virginia: 4 players
- California: 3 players
- Colorado: 3 players
- East Carolina: 3 players
- Georgia Southern: 3 players
- Harvard: 3 players
- Louisiana: 3 players
- Louisiana Tech: 3 players
- Northwestern: 3 players
- Old Dominion: 3 players
- San Diego: 3 players
- San José State: 3 players
- Southern Illinois: 3 players
- UTEP: 3 players
- Weber State: 3 players
- Air Force: 2 players
- Army: 2 players
- Ball State: 2 players
- Bowling Green: 2 players
- Campbell: 2 players
- Central Arkansas: 2 players
- Central Missouri State: 2 players
- Coastal Carolina: 2 players
- Colorado State-Pueblo: 2 players
- Eastern Illinois: 2 players
- Ferris State: 2 players
- Georgia State: 2 players
- Holy Cross: 2 players
- Kansas: 2 players
- Maine: 2 players
- Massachusetts: 2 players
- Middle Tennessee: 2 players
- Nevada: 2 players
- Sam Houston: 2 players
- South Florida: 2 players
- Stephen F. Austin: 2 players
- Troy: 2 players
- UAB: 2 players
- Utah State: 2 players
- Valdosta State: 2 players
- Western Michigan: 2 players
- William & Mary: 2 players
- Wyoming: 2 players
- Youngstown State: 2 players
- Alabama State: 1 player
- Assumption: 1 player
- Augustana University (SD): 1 player
- Azusa Pacific: 1 player
- Baldwin-Wallace: 1 player
- Barton College: 1 player
- British Columbia: 1 player
- Brown: 1 player
- Bryant University: 1 player
- Charleston (WV): 1 player
- Colorado State: 1 player
- Dayton: 1 player
- Delaware: 1 player
- Duquesne: 1 player
- East Texas A&M: 1 player
- Eastern Washington: 1 player
- Fayetteville State: 1 player
- Florida A&M: 1 player
- Fordham: 1 player
- Fort Valley State: 1 player
- Furman: 1 player
- Grambling State: 1 player
- Houston Christian: 1 player
- Idaho: 1 player
- Illinois State: 1 player
- Indiana State: 1 player
- Indiana-Pennsylvania: 1 player
- James Madison: 1 player
- Kennesaw State: 1 player
- Kutztown: 1 player
- Lafayette: 1 player
- Lane College: 1 player
- Liberty: 1 player
- Lindenwood: 1 player
- Loyola New Orleans: 1 player
- Miami (OH): 1 player
- Minnesota State: 1 player
- Missouri S&T: 1 player
- Missouri Western: 1 player
- Monmouth: 1 player
- Montana: 1 player
- Montana State: 1 player
- New Mexico: 1 player
- Norfolk State: 1 player
- North Carolina Central: 1 player
- Northern Arizona: 1 player
- Northern Iowa: 1 player
- Ouachita Baptist: 1 player
- Pennsylvania: 1 player
- Pittsburg State: 1 player
- Princeton: 1 player
- Saginaw Valley State: 1 player
- Sioux Falls: 1 player
- South Alabama: 1 player
- South Carolina State: 1 player
- South Dakota: 1 player
- Southern Utah: 1 player
- Stetson: 1 player
- Tulsa: 1 player
- UAlbany: 1 player
- UC Davis: 1 player
- Villanova: 1 player
- Washburn: 1 player
- Wayne State (MI): 1 player
- Western Colorado: 1 player
- Western Illinois: 1 player
- Wingate: 1 player
- Wisconsin-Whitewater: 1 player
NFL Playoff Rosters by Conference
Here, we rank the NFL playoff rosters by their conference affiliation. It’s also important to note here that we ranked the teams in the conference they played in during the 2023 season, not the 2024 season. So, conferences like the Pac-12 were still credited with teams like USC and Washington (who joined the Big Ten) and Utah and Arizona State (who joined the Big 12).
Don’t worry, we counted their affiliations below if they were in the conferences they played in during the 2024 season just below.
So, here we go — the NFL playoff rosters by conferences in the 2023 alignment:
- SEC: 208 players
- Big Ten: 178 players
- Pac-12: 133 players
- ACC: 129 players
- Big 12: 127 players
- FCS or lower: 113 players
- AAC: 54 players
- MAC: 34 players
- Sun Belt: 34 players
- Ind.: 32 players
- MWC: 31 players
- CUSA: 20 players
- n/a: 11 players
These numbers include a grand total of 116 Pac-12 players that ‘change affiliations’ based on the 2024 alignment. Arizona (4), Arizona State (5), Cal (3), Colorado (3), Oregon (17), Stanford (17), UCLA (16), USC (18), Utah (12), and Washington (21) have their foothold all over the NFL and neither of the players playing in the NFL playoffs played a down in their new respective conferences (unless they transferred prior, of course).
And the NFL playoff rosters by conferences in the 2024 alignment:
- SEC: 252 players
- Big Ten: 250 players
- ACC: 158 players
- FCS or lower: 112 players
- Big 12: 107 players
- AAC: 47 players
- MAC: 34 players
- Sun Belt: 34 players
- MWC: 31 players
- Ind.: 30 players
- CUSA: 21 players
- Pac-12: 17 players
- n/a: 11 players
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.