SEC distributes $43.1 million to each member school for 2017-18
Business is booming in the SEC.
The conference announced on Friday its revenue distribution for the 2017-18 fiscal year, which ended Aug. 31, 2018, revealing that it distributed approximately $627.1 million among its 14 members.
That figure, which includes $23 million doled out to offset costs associated with travel and other expenses related to bowl trips, averages out to “slightly over $43.1 million per school,” the league said.
“This distribution of revenue to the SEC’s member institutions represents a continued conference-wide commitment to support of our student-athletes in all areas of their college experience,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said.
“This revenue is essential in providing outstanding support for all of the young people on our campuses through coaching, equipment, training, academic counseling, medical care and life-skills development.”
The league’s revenue is generated from television agreements, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC football title game, the SEC men’s basketball tournament and championships in other sports.
The SEC’s revenue distribution for 2017-18 is an increase from the average of $40.9 million distributed among members in the 2016-17 fiscal year.
Big Ten could move past SEC as highest earner
The SEC routinely holds serve as the highest-earning conference in collegiate athletics, but the Big Ten will hold that crown for 2018 when it comes to average distribution to its schools. USA Today reported Friday that the Big Ten “likely distributed a little more than $50 million” to each of its 12 members that received the full revenue shares from the conference. Ordinarily, the Big Ten’s revenue figures don’t become public until the spring.
The Big Ten, which began new television agreements during the 2018 fiscal year, generally does not file its federal tax return until the spring. So, its revenue total for fiscal 2018 has not yet been made public. However, through open-records requests, USA TODAY Sports has obtained fiscal 2018 financial reports to the NCAA for six of the 12 schools receiving full shares.
Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten’s newest members, won’t receive their full share until the 2020-21 athletic year. Nebraska received its full share for the first time in the 2018 fiscal year.
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