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Top money makers in college football

 

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  • ESPN has crunched the numbers from the NCAA and has listed the top money makers in college football, based on the 2011-12 season. No surprise the Southeastern Conference, which has crowned six national title winners, has the most teams among the top 10. The average FBS, formerly Division I, football program brought in about $25 million. The lowest money earner in college football was the University of Louisiana at Monroe, with $3.6 million in profits. That wouldn't pay the coach's salary in some teams in the top 10. Here they are:
  • The Cornhuskers joined the Big 10 and it paid off, monetarily. The football program brought in a profit of $36.4 million.
  • The first of six SEC schools on the list, the Razorbacks program made a total of $39.9 million in 2011.
  • The Irish are in contention for the national title this season, but last year they brought in $43.2 million in profits, the highest of any independent.
  • Coming off a national title, the Tigers had among the largest expenditures of any program with $33.3 million, which cut their $77.2 million in revenue to $43.8 million in profits.
  • LSU, which contended for the national title in 2011, had $44.8 million in profits.
  • National champs Alabama had the largest expenses of any program, topped by Nick Saban's $4.8 million salary. The Tide took in a profit of $45.1 million after $36.9 million in expenditures.
  • The Florida Gators made $51.1 million in profits.
  • The Bulldogs made the SEC title game and brought in $75.0 million in revenue. With $22.7 million in expenses, the Georgia football program made $52.3 in profit, the highest of any SEC school.
  • Michigan replaces Big 10 rival Penn State as the second-biggest money maker in college football. The Big House packed in $61.6 million in profits.
  • Everything is bigger in Texas and with $103.8 million in revenue, boosted by the launch of its TV network, no other college football program came close to pocketing as much money as the Longhorns. Texas made $77.9 million in profits in 2011.
 

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