The SEC "will distribute" $436.8M out of an NCAA-record $455.8M in revenue between its 14 institutions, according to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com. Each league member "will receive" $31.2M -- an increase of more than $10M per school from last year's payout of $20.9M per school. The SEC made $455.8M in "total revenue based on the revenue-sharing plan" for its '14-15 FY, which ends Aug. 1. However, $19M "was retained by institutions that participated in bowl games last season" (ESPN.com, 5/29). In St. Louis, Dave Matter noted the distribution total "doesn’t include" about $1M of academic enhancement payments that the NCAA divides among the 14 schools. Also, revenue "derived by schools from their local media packages is not included in the league amount" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 5/30). SI.com's Andy Staples noted the "early impact of the SEC Network is nothing short of stunning." With less than 10 months of SEC Network money on the books and "in spite of a host of one-time startup costs, the venture with ESPN is already fully distributed within the geographic footprint, nearly fully distributed nationwide and exceedingly profitable." The Power 5 have "built a wide revenue gap between themselves and everyone else, but the Big Ten and SEC are about to build their own gap between themselves and the rest of the Power Five." The other conferences are "looking up at them on the balance sheet" (SI.com, 5/29).
TWELVE-BAR ORIGINAL: In Dallas, Chuck Carlton noted the Big 12 on Friday "posted record revenue distribution" and an increase of 14.5% from '14, with an average of $25.2M for the 10 schools. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said that the conference is "expected to make a similar-sized jump in revenue next year and eventually top out" at about $44M per school before its current TV contracts end in '24-25. Carlton noted Big 12 schools "also have a greater opportunity to take advantage of their third-tier rights than other conferences." Texas has "parlayed that into the Longhorn Network partnership with ESPN," worth $15M annually before a percentage to IMG and the university's academic side. Oklahoma, West Virginia and Kansas "all are reported to have significant third-tier deals" ranging from $7-10M. But the Big 12 is "looking for the next big thing, which is distribution of content beyond a traditional network." The Big 12 BOD "heard a presentation about future technology trends Friday from an outside firm." Kansas State President Kirk Schulz said, “Hopefully that’s going to drive things as opposed to always being worried if somebody has $2 million in distributable revenue per school (and) that we’ve got to panic. We need to be very thoughtful looking out and not let that drive our decisions" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/30).
TOUGH SLEDDING AHEAD? In Hartford, Jeff Jacobs writes under the header, "Ominous Financial Times For UConn Athletics." The Big 12 and SEC revenue distribution announcements do not "make the future any less foreboding for colleges outside" the Power 5, as UConn is "getting a pittance" compared to Power 5 schools. UConn AD Warde Manuel said, "I am not one to whine about where we are. ... I don't take a backseat to anybody because they make more money than we do in television dollars." He added, "We need to continue to win and continue to prosper in terms of championships and see where [AAC Commissioner] Mike Aresco and the American take us and where we can support them to improve the revenues in the future." Jacobs: "We all knew it was coming. And guess what? It's here" (HARTFORD COURANT, 6/1).
