The SEC had $527.4M in total revenue for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2015, the first fiscal year in which the conference "began receiving money from the formation of the SEC Network and from the new College Football Playoff," according to tax returns cited by Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY. The total revenue figure is "more than 60% greater than the SEC reported" the previous fiscal year. The conference announced last spring that it "would be distributing" about $455.8M to its 14 member schools -- or about $31.2M per school. The SEC ended FY '15 with a $17.2M annual revenue surplus, the league's best surplus since $7.6M in FY '08 and likely its "greatest single-year surplus." The SEC reported on the tax returns $311.8M in TV and radio rights fees -- a nearly 50% increase over the $210.4M it reported for FY '14. The conference also had "enormous growth in its revenue from postseason events." It reported $162.8M in such revenue, a 65% increase over $98.6M during FY '14. The SEC also reported having "nearly tripled its spending on postseason events" -- $27.5M compared to $9.3M during FY '14. Meanwhile, former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive had nearly $3.6M in base compensation in '14, his last full calendar year leading the conference. That was "more than 75% higher than it was" in '13 and is "more than triple what it was" in '12 (USATODAY.com, 1/19).
