Franz Beard:
The Southeastern Conference last week announced that it distributed $741 million to member schools for the 2022-23 school year, a figure that will translate to $51.3 million per school. The overall revenue total was $20 million more than the year before as the league slowly recovers from the financial losses suffered during the COVID pandemic.
The contract with ESPN kicks in this summer at the same time Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 to join the SEC. All 16 schools will get an extra $20 million from the new contract, but will net $17 million more. The old CBS contract paid each school $3 million. The combination of the ESPN contract and added revenue brought in by Texas and Oklahoma should result in a per school payout in the $75 million range next year.
The SEC will go with an 8-game scheduling format for 2024, but that is expected to be ditched in favor of a 9-game model starting in 2025. The extra weekend of SEC games is expected to result in more negotiations with ESPN/Disney/ABC. The combination of the extra games, SEC success going head-to-head with the expanded Big Ten and serious increase in the per conference payouts of an expanded College Football Playoff are expected to produce a new contract that is being projected to pay out at least $100 million per school as early as 2026.
This is where things are expected to get rather interesting. If the revenue forecasts are anywhere close to accurate, the SEC will be doubling the payouts to each Atlantic Coast Conference school. A group called Navigate estimates the SEC will be paying out more than $110 million per school in 2027 while Florida State, Miami and the rest of the ACC brethren are projected to be paid approximately $56.6 million.
Florida State has not backed down from its threat to sue for divorce from the ACC over the revenue discrepancy with the SEC and the grant of rights contract with the ACC that won’t expire until 2036, but where would the Seminoles go? Greg Sankey has indicated the SEC is content with 16 teams because the 12 states that make up the league are connected and 16 presents an ideal scheduling model. The Big Ten isn’t interested in adding FSU because of academics. Of the 18 schools that will make up the Big Ten next year, only Nebraska isn’t a member of the American Association of Universities and Nebraska is petitioning to rejoin. FSU is not a member. In the state of Florida, the University of Florida, USF and Miami are AAU members but FSU academics aren’t even with their in-state brethren
The Southeastern Conference last week announced that it distributed $741 million to member schools for the 2022-23 school year, a figure that will translate to $51.3 million per school. The overall revenue total was $20 million more than the year before as the league slowly recovers from the financial losses suffered during the COVID pandemic.
The contract with ESPN kicks in this summer at the same time Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 to join the SEC. All 16 schools will get an extra $20 million from the new contract, but will net $17 million more. The old CBS contract paid each school $3 million. The combination of the ESPN contract and added revenue brought in by Texas and Oklahoma should result in a per school payout in the $75 million range next year.
The SEC will go with an 8-game scheduling format for 2024, but that is expected to be ditched in favor of a 9-game model starting in 2025. The extra weekend of SEC games is expected to result in more negotiations with ESPN/Disney/ABC. The combination of the extra games, SEC success going head-to-head with the expanded Big Ten and serious increase in the per conference payouts of an expanded College Football Playoff are expected to produce a new contract that is being projected to pay out at least $100 million per school as early as 2026.
This is where things are expected to get rather interesting. If the revenue forecasts are anywhere close to accurate, the SEC will be doubling the payouts to each Atlantic Coast Conference school. A group called Navigate estimates the SEC will be paying out more than $110 million per school in 2027 while Florida State, Miami and the rest of the ACC brethren are projected to be paid approximately $56.6 million.
Florida State has not backed down from its threat to sue for divorce from the ACC over the revenue discrepancy with the SEC and the grant of rights contract with the ACC that won’t expire until 2036, but where would the Seminoles go? Greg Sankey has indicated the SEC is content with 16 teams because the 12 states that make up the league are connected and 16 presents an ideal scheduling model. The Big Ten isn’t interested in adding FSU because of academics. Of the 18 schools that will make up the Big Ten next year, only Nebraska isn’t a member of the American Association of Universities and Nebraska is petitioning to rejoin. FSU is not a member. In the state of Florida, the University of Florida, USF and Miami are AAU members but FSU academics aren’t even with their in-state brethren
