Power Five conferences generated over $3.55 billion in revenue during the 2023 fiscal year, according to tax records obtained by USA Today. The Big Ten led its counterparts with $880 million, an almost $35 million increase from 2022. The SEC did close the gap some with $852.6 million in revenue and doled out about $51.3 million to each of its member conferences.
The Big Ten distributed $60.5 million to its 12 longest-tenured members, while Maryland and Rutgers, which joined the conference in 2014, each received $58.9 million.
Though its $707 million figure was third among the power conferences, the ACC did report a $90 million revenue increase that paced Power Five schools. According to USA Today, around $38 million of that increase came from TV revenue through its deal with Comcast.
Each ACC school received an average of $44.8 million, while Notre Dame, a full-time ACC member in most sports, was granted $22.1 million due its independent status in football.
In its last year as a fully fledged league, the Pac-12 brought in $603.9 million, which was an increase of around $23 million. Despite that, the amount distributed dropped by about $3.4 million per school.
Power Five conference revenue for 2023 fiscal year
| Conference | Revenue | Approximate payout per school |
|---|---|---|
|
Big Ten |
$880 million |
$60.5 million to longest-standing members; $58.9 million to Maryland and Rutgers |
|
SEC |
$852.6 million |
$51.3 million |
|
ACC |
$707 million |
$44.8 million |
|
Pac-12 |
$603.9 million |
$33.6 million |
|
Big 12 |
$510.7 million |
$44.2 million |
Source: USA Today
These numbers will change radically in 2024 as conference realignment and new TV deals start to take effect. The SEC is set to see its numbers swell to 16 with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas, while the Big Ten is increasing its media profile and expanding to the West Coast with the likes of USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.
Even the Big 12 profited from the dissolution of the Pac-12, managing to poach Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 all recently signed multi-billion dollar television deals, while the ACC is in the midst of a 20-year exclusive media rights agreement that it signed with ESPN in 2016.
