USC Athletic Department Brings In Record $113.2M In Revenue During FY '16-17

USC's athletic department "brought in a record" $113.2M in revenue during FY '16-17, according to Joey Kaufman of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. USC showed total expenses and revenues of $113.2M for the period covering July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017, which "was an increase" of $7M from the previous year. USC’s football revenue increased by more than $8M to $59.8M, while expenses decreased by $1M to $30.2M. USC COO Steve Lopes said that a "sizable portion of the increase in football revenue" came from its nonconference, neutral-site game against Alabama at AT&T Stadium to open the '16 season. Lopes said that USC’s payout was "similar" to the $6.5M Alabama received. USC also "made the Rose Bowl, one of two teams in the Pac-12 to participate in New Year’s Six bowl games." Lopes: "That’s a pickup for sure." Both "helped with a decline in USC’s football attendance, which dropped from an average" of about 75,000 in '15 to about 68,000 in '16 (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/17).