CONFERENCES
One of the key motivations for schools to change athletic conferences.
What is growing television/media rights revenues?
The largest source of revenue for NCAA Division I FBS Public Institutions.
What is NCAA/Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football?
In March of 2024, ESPN agreed to pay this amount over six-years to ensure the network will remain the sole Media Rights holder of the CFP through the 2031-32 season.
What is $7.8 billion or $1.3 billion annually?
1) Facilities and Equipment; 2) Coaches Compensation; and 3) Support/Admin Compensation.
What are the 3 major areas of athletic department expenses?
Short term impact of a Cinderella run in the men's basketball tournament on the university.
What is a marked bump in social media mentions and university applications for the year?
Being a member of an athletic conference that is fueled by significant media company revenues.
Why do athletic departments aspire to change conferences?
Sometimes controversial revenue source most schools use to subsidize athletic department deficits.
What are student fees?
Percent of annual pay to the Big Ten and SEC from the CFP Media Rights contract.
What is 29% or $22m per school?
Four times more money was spent on this expense in FY24 than FY15.
What is Head and Assistant Coaches' Severance pay?
Amount of money the NCAA receives from the men's basketball March Madness Media contracts.
What is (approximately) $1 billion annually?
Speculated future conference realignment model further differentiating the elite football playing institutions into the 'haves' and 'have-nots.'
What is the Power 2 or Mega-Conference?
A University that is subsidizing their athletic department nearly four-times the revenue actually generated by the athletic department in fiscal year 2023.
What is James Madison University?
Percent of annual pay to the ACC from the CFP Media Rights contract.
What is 17% or $13-14m per school?
In the current (FY26) fiscal year, public institutions are already committed to pay this amount in severance to only 15 head football coaches.
What is $228m?
Long term impact of a Cinderella run in the NCAA men's basketball tournament to university applications.
What is little to no impact on the quantity of applications in subsequent years of a Cinderella run?
A new source of income for media companies (and their partners such as NC State and UNC in FY26) allowing them to offer larger contracts to the top conferences.
What is sports wagering or gambling?
Number (few/average/many) of athletic programs at all levels requiring support by student fees and internal loans and transfers because they do not generate enough money.
What are 'many (if not most) athletic programs?'
Percent of annual pay to Group of 6 from the CFP Media Rights contract.
What is 9% split amongst the schools?
An accounting practice used by some universities to hide athletic costs and student fees.
What is an 'institutional transfer?'
$950m over 8 years or $119m annually.
What amount of money will the NCAA receive from the Media Rights agreement for 40 sport championships including women's basketball?
The massive revenue gap between the ACC/Big 12 and the SEC/Big Ten.
What is $30m per year per institution?
Other than Conference/Media Distribution, the two highest sources of revenue for NCAA Division I Public school athletic departments.
What are Donations/Contributions and Ticket Sales?
The amount of money the NCAA receives from the CFP.
What is zero or nothing?
"A serious problem for nearly every college in the U.S. that has a varsity athletics program."
What are subsidized/revenue negative athletic departments?
Schools will be assessed a 'tax' of their NCAA March Madness revenues for the next decade based on a percentage of the conference revenues.
What is one financial consequence of the House Settlement?