Money trailWho pays for college sports
Where athletic-department money comes from, FY2005 vs. FY2025, for the public Power 4 schools in the Knight-Newhouse database [M-S48]. Fans pay through tickets and much of donor giving; networks pay through conference, NCAA and bowl distributions; universities and students pay through institutional support and fees.
Aggregate shares (calc)
Sum of Knight-Newhouse revenue categories across 52 public P4 schools with data in both years (Texas excluded from both years because its FY2025 categories are left out; Pitt provided no data; private schools are not covered) [M-S48]. Total: $2.55B in FY2005 and $9.41B in FY2025 (calc, nominal dollars). Bars show each category's share of that year's total (scale 0-40%).
For reference, the research's 53-school totals (which include Texas) are $2.64B (FY2005), $5.4B (FY2015) and $9.76B (FY2025) (calc) [M-S48]. Knight-Newhouse combines conference distributions, media rights, NCAA distributions and bowl/CFP money in one category; endowment income falls under Other.
Left out: Texas FY2025 revenue categories are left out: Knight-Newhouse shows Texas at a 10% media share and 49% donor share, far out of line with peers, and the research flags the category coding as likely wrong (for example SEC-entry money or foundation transfers). Texas FY2005 and FY2015 are shown.
By school
Each category's share of the school's revenue categories. Click a column to sort; filter by conference. FY = year ending June 30 (Texas and Texas A&M: Aug. 31). Private schools (14) and Pitt have no Knight-Newhouse categories: UNAVAILABLE.
| School | Conf. | Total FY05 | Total FY25 | Media FY05 | Media FY25 | Tickets FY05 | Tickets FY25 | Donors FY05 | Donors FY25 | Corporate FY05 | Corporate FY25 | Inst. support FY05 | Inst. support FY25 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama | SEC | $62.3M | $273.1M | 21% | 29% | 30% | 18% | 33% | 25% | 2% | 6% | 0% | 11% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Arkansas | SEC | $47.3M | $195.9M | 25% | 34% | 51% | 32% | 7% | 19% | 5% | 10% | 3% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Auburn University | SEC | $57.4M | $205.9M | 24% | 34% | 28% | 17% | 40% | 29% | 2% | 5% | 0% | 2% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Florida | SEC | $77.7M | $223.6M | 18% | 34% | 17% | 21% | 35% | 24% | 9% | 5% | 2% | 4% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Georgia | SEC | $68.8M | $233.5M | 20% | 31% | 20% | 18% | 41% | 23% | 7% | 10% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Kentucky | SEC | $54.5M | $185.3M | 26% | 45% | 35% | 26% | 15% | 18% | 11% | 4% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Louisiana State University | SEC | $60.9M | $223.5M | 23% | 34% | 38% | 24% | 18% | 31% | 5% | 2% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Mississippi State University | SEC | $25.5M | $164.7M | 28% | 38% | 25% | 11% | 27% | 36% | 2% | 9% | 2% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Missouri | SEC | $46.8M | $181.9M | 23% | 34% | 32% | 13% | 21% | 26% | 2% | 6% | 6% | 16% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Oklahoma | SEC | $63.4M | $205.7M | 20% | 8% | 45% | 26% | 16% | 48% | 12% | 9% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Mississippi | SEC | $28.7M | $180.7M | 34% | 40% | 31% | 15% | 15% | 28% | 1% | 7% | 3% | 3% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of South Carolina | SEC | $46.3M | $209.6M | 20% | 31% | 24% | 16% | 35% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 1% | 21% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | SEC | $71.3M | $312.3M | 15% | 21% | 37% | 17% | 21% | 36% | 6% | 11% | 11% | 2% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Texas at Austin | SEC | $89.7M | left out | 13% | left out | 37% | left out | 25% | left out | 10% | left out | 2% | left out | Knight-Newhouse |
| Texas A&M University | SEC | $64.2M | $235.5M | 17% | 28% | 39% | 27% | 27% | 21% | 4% | 13% | 1% | 2% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Big Ten | $48.4M | $194.9M | 22% | 43% | 27% | 15% | 20% | 26% | 9% | 4% | 4% | 4% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Big Ten | $38M | $183.4M | 37% | 44% | 22% | 16% | 21% | 14% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 15% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Iowa | Big Ten | $61.7M | $180M | 28% | 45% | 31% | 18% | 17% | 19% | 7% | 7% | 3% | 1% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Big Ten | $46.5M | $124M | 19% | 51% | 24% | 10% | 24% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 1% | 5% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Michigan | Big Ten | $78.4M | $275.9M | 16% | 29% | 40% | 28% | 21% | 18% | 12% | 13% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Michigan State University | Big Ten | $62.2M | $179.9M | 20% | 44% | 30% | 17% | 21% | 21% | 6% | 8% | 5% | 4% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Minnesota Twin Cities | Big Ten | $53.3M | $163.6M | 23% | 49% | 35% | 12% | 8% | 14% | 5% | 8% | 17% | 7% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Big Ten | $55.9M | $215.1M | 21% | 43% | 39% | 19% | 20% | 23% | 11% | 8% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Ohio State University | Big Ten | $89.7M | $336.2M | 15% | 29% | 38% | 24% | 22% | 21% | 8% | 13% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Oregon | Big Ten | $40M | $185.4M | 15% | 37% | 30% | 19% | 29% | 18% | 5% | 14% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Pennsylvania State University | Big Ten | $60.8M | $254.9M | 18% | 35% | 38% | 20% | 23% | 25% | 8% | 10% | 0% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Purdue University | Big Ten | $51.3M | $150.5M | 30% | 52% | 29% | 16% | 27% | 18% | 4% | 6% | 1% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Big Ten | $38M | $146.6M | 13% | 54% | 10% | 11% | 11% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 38% | 10% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of California, Los Angeles | Big Ten | $46M | $161.8M | 24% | 48% | 32% | 11% | 15% | 8% | 12% | 7% | 0% | 19% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Washington | Big Ten | $43.2M | $178.5M | 23% | 27% | 32% | 17% | 23% | 30% | 6% | 12% | 3% | 6% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Big Ten | $75.8M | $205.2M | 20% | 38% | 28% | 19% | 27% | 13% | 2% | 12% | 7% | 5% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of California, Berkeley | ACC | $43.9M | $153M | 22% | 16% | 23% | 9% | 22% | 13% | 9% | 4% | 7% | 28% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Clemson University | ACC | $40.4M | $198.6M | 23% | 27% | 33% | 20% | 23% | 28% | 3% | 9% | 2% | 10% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Florida State University | ACC | $56.6M | $212M | 19% | 22% | 22% | 13% | 29% | 26% | 10% | 7% | 0% | 16% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | ACC | $43.2M | $156.1M | 22% | 35% | 21% | 10% | 16% | 25% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 6% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Louisville | ACC | $41.2M | $146.9M | 10% | 33% | 31% | 23% | 28% | 14% | 7% | 17% | 7% | 4% | Knight-Newhouse |
| North Carolina State University | ACC | $35.8M | $141.5M | 36% | 34% | 36% | 19% | 17% | 26% | 1% | 2% | 0% | 7% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | ACC | $54.8M | $173M | 29% | 30% | 26% | 19% | 20% | 23% | 5% | 14% | 6% | 1% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Virginia | ACC | $63.1M | $155.1M | 16% | 31% | 18% | 10% | 44% | 22% | 3% | 5% | 0% | 13% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Virginia Tech | ACC | $45.7M | $161.2M | 23% | 30% | 31% | 15% | 23% | 24% | 1% | 9% | 1% | 5% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Arizona | Big 12 | $39.7M | $143.3M | 23% | 26% | 23% | 16% | 24% | 24% | 10% | 4% | 11% | 22% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Arizona State University | Big 12 | $41.3M | $170M | 20% | 26% | 17% | 10% | 21% | 13% | 8% | 12% | 25% | 28% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Central Florida | Big 12 | $22.1M | $114.5M | 4% | 18% | 6% | 7% | 15% | 24% | 3% | 12% | 8% | 11% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Cincinnati | Big 12 | $21.1M | $118.5M | 17% | 17% | 18% | 11% | 22% | 15% | 5% | 6% | 27% | 44% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Big 12 | $35.9M | $161.7M | 27% | 24% | 30% | 17% | 4% | 12% | 8% | 8% | 5% | 26% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Houston | Big 12 | $22.6M | $92.8M | 7% | 20% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 17% | 2% | 7% | 39% | 36% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Iowa State University | Big 12 | $28.9M | $118M | 27% | 40% | 32% | 20% | 15% | 25% | 4% | 2% | 9% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Kansas | Big 12 | $50.8M | $143.9M | 18% | 33% | 26% | 19% | 36% | 30% | 0% | 8% | 4% | 1% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Kansas State University | Big 12 | $39.9M | $116.3M | 23% | 34% | 32% | 17% | 24% | 35% | 3% | 9% | 6% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Oklahoma State University | Big 12 | $51.3M | $150.8M | 22% | 32% | 27% | 8% | 35% | 52% | 2% | 5% | 4% | 0% | Knight-Newhouse |
| Texas Tech University | Big 12 | $48M | $145.3M | 19% | 27% | 20% | 13% | 35% | 30% | 8% | 14% | 5% | 10% | Knight-Newhouse |
| University of Utah | Big 12 | $25.5M | $140.3M | 28% | 31% | 27% | 10% | 14% | 36% | 0% | 11% | 10% | 4% | Knight-Newhouse |
| West Virginia University | Big 12 | $33.5M | $128.1M | 21% | 32% | 23% | 18% | 21% | 24% | 12% | 7% | 0% | 3% | Knight-Newhouse |