I found 18 profitable & 211 money-losing NCAA Division-I public athletic programs in 2020 (2024)

FAQs

How many colleges lose money on athletics? ›

“You're talking about 95 percent of colleges that probably spend somewhere between … $40 million and $5 million on college sports, and they lose money,” Baker said.

The NCAA reported $1.12 billion in revenue in fiscal 2019, then just $519 million in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major sources of income include conference television contracts divided among the member schools, sponsorships, and ticket sales. We also looked at the average annual revenue for the three sports that typically generate the most: football, men's basketball, and women's basketball.

Because the NCAA doesn't control the College Football Playoff and the FBS bowls, they must rely strongly on what the D1 tournament can bring. Most of the NCAA's revenue comes from selling its TV rights and ticket sales.

But despite the $3 billion awarded in athletic scholarships each year,⁵ about 60% of athletes left college with some form of debt from student loans. Promising student-athletes may agree to take on debt they won't be able to repay, even before they even step foot on the field or court as professionals.

Harvard University, with a $49.495 billion endowment as of FY2023, is the wealthiest university in the world. The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) maintains information on endowments at U.S. higher education institutions by fiscal year (FY).

A select share of Division I college athletes produce billions of dollars of revenue every year for their schools. Almost all of this revenue comes from football and men's basketball.

Dabo Swinney's contract makes him the highest-paid college football head coach after the retirement of Nick Saban. The Clemson Tigers head coach signed a substantial 10-year $115 million contract in 2022, and his average annual salary of $11.5 million makes him the highest earner by a thin margin.

The interest and popularity of lacrosse has mushroomed over the decades, both in numbers of schools and players and geographically, to become the fastest growing sport today in U.S. high schools and colleges.

In addition to the $3.2 billion schools award in athletics scholarships each year, the NCAA funds more than $10 million in scholarships and grants annually to graduate student-athletes and member schools.

Does the NCAA pay for tuition? ›

NCAA sports players typically receive athletic scholarships that cover tuition, room and board, and other expenses. However, they may still have to pay for other fees, such as textbooks and transportation. This is not illegal or unethical, as athletic scholarships are intended to cover education-related expenses.

NCAA rules are the main obstacle. Not long after it was formed in 1906, the NCAA prohibited schools from compensating student-athletes for their athletic ability.

At a time of record student loan debt, the skyrocketing costs of Division I sports play a significant role in threatening the ability of state colleges and universities to offer students an affordable education. Dozens of Division I public institutions lose between $20 and $40 million annually on sports.

Statista shows that over 40% of student-athletes¹ have taken on debt of more than $20,000, on top of the fact that 38% of college students drop out due to finances. This puts student-athletes in a very tough situation.

in its Q3 report showed The Athletic recorded an "adjusted operating loss" of $7.9M for the quarter, an "improvement" from a $12.1M loss a year earlier, according to Katie Robertson of the N.Y. TIMES.

But it is well documented (here is but one source) that each year at least 10 and perhaps as many as 20 schools lose money after subtracting travel expenses and mandatory ticket purchases. Plus they only receive a share of the total bowl payout since the payout goes to the conference.