No Surprise: SEC Schools Make A Lot Cash Off Of Football And Basketball

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Much of the sporting world has been focused this week on revenues and expenses.  An annual NCAA report released this week showed that only 14 of the 120 major FBS programs in the country turned a profit in the past year.  Of those 14 moneymakers, at least three were SEC schools (Alabama, Florida and Tennessee).

But the NCAA has not released the raw data for fiscal year 2009-2010.  Neither has the US Department of Education.  However, the numbers for 2008-2009 are available through the Office of Postsecondary Education of the DOE.  And that’s where we’ve been hanging out the past few days (on its website, actually).

Many of you have asked which SEC programs turn profits and which ones don’t.  “Do schools make money only in football?”  “Which SEC schools spend the most on athletics… and make the most?”

Below are the answers according to those July 1st, 2008 to June 30th, 2009 numbers provided by the Department of Education.  We’ve listed them out in one table and then we’ve broken things down further in category by category rankings.

Keep in mind that these numbers represent the 2008 football season and the 2008-2009 basketball season.  They also reflect programs that were just starting to feel the effect of a struggling economy.  As you’ll see, two years ago 10 of the SEC’s 12 athletic programs turned a profit.  Considering the fact that only 14 schools — across the entire nation — turned a profit last year, you can imagine the decline in revenues that fans’ belt-tightening has caused.

Looking at those 2008-2009 numbers by category we find…



Schools with the highest football expenses

1.  Auburn ($28.8m)
2.  Alabama ($26.4m)
3.  Tennessee ($22.9m)
4.  Florida ($22.8m)
5.  LSU ($22.7m)
6.  S. Carolina ($19.88m)
7.  Georgia ($19.83m)
8.  Arkansas ($18.3m)
9.  Vanderbilt ($14.1m) — So much for the idea that Vandy doesn’t keep up cash-wise.
10.  Kentucky ($13.2m)
11.  Miss. State ($12.8m)
12.  Ole Miss ($9.5m)



Schools with the highest football profits (revenues minus expenses)

1.  Georgia ($45.3m)
2.  Florida ($43.2m)
3.  LSU ($39.1m)
4.  Alabama ($38.1m)
5.  S. Carolina ($37.2m)
6.  Auburn ($29.8m)
7.  Arkansas ($20.3m)
8.  Tennessee ($19.8m) — Profit drop could have aided Phillip Fulmer’s demise.
9.  Kentucky ($12.8m)
10.  Ole Miss ($9.1m)
11.  Miss. State ($5.8m)
12.  Vanderbilt ($4.3m) — Every SEC school profited from football in 2008 (prior to the new CBS/ESPN television deals).



Schools with the highest basketball expenses

1.  Kentucky ($8.6m)
2.  Florida ($8.1m)
3.  Vanderbilt ($7.0m) — Again Vandy’s not a cellar-dweller in spending.
4.  Arkansas ($6.6m)
5.  Georgia ($6.2m)
6.  Tennessee ($5.4m)
7.  S. Carolina ($5.1m)
8.  Alabama ($4.9m)
9.  LSU ($4.7m)
10.  Auburn ($4.5m)
11.  Miss. State ($3.7m)
12.  Ole Miss ($2.5m) — Starting to see a pattern with the Magnolia State schools?



Schools with the highest basketball profits (revenues minus expenses)

1.  Arkansas ($7.7m) — Surprised, aren’t you?
2.  Tennessee ($7.1m)
3.  Kentucky ($6.1m) — Surprised again, aren’t you?
4.  Alabama ($3.7m)
5.  S. Carolina ($2.9m)
6.  Auburn ($2.6m)
7.  Miss. State ($2.4m)
8.  Ole Miss ($2.2m)
9.  Florida ($1.9m)
10.  LSU ($1.2m)
11.  Vanderbilt ($1.0m)
12.  Georgia ($.9m) — Every SEC basketball program turned a profit in 2008-2009 (even before the new television deals kicked in).



Schools with the highest total AD profit (men’s and women’s revenues minus expenses, all sports)

1.  Alabama ($22.1m)
2.  Florida ($6.8m)
3.  Kentucky ($6.17m)
4.  LSU ($6.11m)
5.  Georgia ($4.9m)
6.  Auburn ($1.5m)
7.  Vanderbilt ($1.4m)
8.  Arkansas ($1.1m)
9.  S. Carolina ($0.6m)
10.  Miss. State ($0.06m)
11t.  Ole Miss ($0)
11t.  Tennessee ($0)