| Conference Members | Football | All Other Sports |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Alabama at Birmingham | American | American |
| East Carolina | American | American |
| Florida Atlantic | American | American |
| Memphis | American | American |
| North Texas | American | American |
| Rice | American | American |
| South Florida | American | American |
| Temple | American | American |
| Texas at San Antonio | American | American |
| Tulane | American | American |
| Tulsa | American | American |
| UNC Charlotte | American | American |
| Wichita State | - | American |
| Army (Football) | American | Patriot |
| Navy (Football) | American | Patriot |
| Total Members | 14 | 13 |
Estimated NCAA Revenue Sharing 2025-26: American Conference Schools
Based on average operating revenue of around $ 18 million per school (see table below), estimated revenue sharing using the 22% NCAA benchmark results in an average commitment of about $ 3.9 million per school:
| Estimated Revenue Sharing 2025-26 American Conference Schools | Revenue Share % | Team / Sport Allocation ($) | Eligible Athletes | Average per Athlete ($) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Football | 68% | 2,694,591 | 105 | 25,663 | |
| Men's Basketball | 15% | 565,969 | 15 | 37,731 | |
| All Other Sports | 17% | 692,454 | 300 | 2,308 | |
| Average per School | 100.0% | $ 3,953,014 | 420 | $ 9,412 |
Football and Men’s basketball account for the bulk of team specific revenues at most FBS Group of 6 schools, and athletes on these two teams will be the major beneficiaries of revenue sharing. These are averages per athlete, a few players per team will likely receive substantially higher, while many will receive much less. Schools may pay more or less than the 22% NCAA benchmark, and can also opt out of revenue sharing entirely. Estimates are based on team specific revenues as reported to the NCAA.
2024 Operating Results: American Conference Schools
Per 2024 NCAA reporting, American Conference athletic departments averaged a net operating loss of $ 43 million per school, ranging from a low of $ 24 million to a high of $ 74 million:
| Annual Operating Results American Conference Schools ($) | Average per School 2024 | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Revenue (see below) | 17,968,245 | 11,280,743 | 29,150,176 |
| Operating Expenses (see below) | 61,347,187 | 42,655,845 | 101,933,843 |
Net Operating Loss | - 43,378,942 | - 24,687,600 | - 74,575,667 |
|
| Booster Contributions | 8,815,128 | 2,250,063 | 15,911,230 |
| School Support & Student Fees | 36,312,519 | 25,850,043 | 63,661,871 |
| Net Surplus (Deficit) | 1,748,705 | - 568,948 | 6,000,793 |
Average athletics operating revenue for American Conference schools was $ 18 million in 2024, ranging from a low of $ 11 million to a high of $ 29 million. Average athletic department contributions per school was $ 9 million, ranging from a low of $ 2 million to a high of $ 15 million:
| Annual Revenue & Support American Conference Schools ($) | Average per School 2024 | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket Sales | 3,571,170 | 1,560,955 | 6,523,182 |
| Media & Conference Income | 5,810,029 | 3,040,800 | 9,429,419 |
| Bowl Game Distributions | 195,847 | - | 979,235 |
| NCAA Distributions | 1,424,920 | 937,210 | 1,643,874 |
| Game Day & Event Revenue | 669,242 | 292,006 | 1,487,688 |
| Licensing & Sponsorships | 3,014,229 | 1,310,857 | 5,146,921 |
| Game Guarantees | 1,381,770 | 3,500 | 2,748,000 |
| Other Operating Income | 1,901,038 | 516,823 | 4,607,494 |
| Total Operating Revenue | 17,968,245 | 11,280,743 | 29,150,176 |
| Athletic Dept Contributions | 8,815,128 | 2,250,063 | 15,911,230 |
| School Support | 21,556,834 | 7,847,504 | 46,342,346 |
| Student Fees | 14,755,685 | 7,190,117 | 26,088,690 |
| Total Revenue & Support | 63,095,892 | 43,271,595 | 103,549,435 |
Average athletic department operating expenses for American Conference schools was $ 61 million in 2024, ranging from a low of $ 42 million to a high of $ 102 million:
| Annual Operating Expenses American Conference Schools | Average per School 2024 | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries - Coaching Staff | 10,878,943 | 9,348,128 | 15,867,831 |
| Salaries - Admin & Support | 9,250,906 | 6,591,985 | 11,587,038 |
| Severance Payments | 1,241,328 | - | 4,911,139 |
| Student Athlete Financial Aid | 7,973,765 | 3,813,919 | 12,731,240 |
| Recruiting | 1,386,346 | 780,218 | 2,778,325 |
| Team Travel | 5,469,352 | 4,249,669 | 8,818,796 |
| Game Guarantees | 1,092,249 | 560,132 | 2,130,902 |
| Equipment & Uniforms | 2,566,451 | 1,406,107 | 4,730,886 |
| Game Day & Event Expenses | 2,712,783 | 1,390,346 | 4,560,595 |
| Fundraising & Marketing | 529,481 | 134,123 | 916,452 |
| Athletic Facilities payments | 5,959,127 | 2,460,209 | 12,435,457 |
| Medical expenses & insurance | 871,554 | 166,049 | 1,365,316 |
| Student Athlete Meals | 1,833,723 | 1,000,652 | 3,187,541 |
| Football Bowl Expenses | 203,890 | - | 1,019,448 |
| Overhead & Administration | 7,198,749 | 5,392,713 | 12,489,308 |
| Other Operating Expenses | 2,178,540 | 1,688,120 | 4,854,186 |
| Total Operating Expenses | $ 61,347,187 | $ 42,655,845 | $ 101,933,843 |
With revenue sharing adding close to $ 30 million in additional costs this year at most power conference members, schools are aggressively marketing to boosters for increased contributions to help cover these costs. However, revenue sharing will also likely result in increased parity between Power Conference schools along with potentially, a lot of unhappy boosters. Additionally, revenue sharing may result in booster fatigue at many schools. At almost all schools, revenue sharing will likely require the infusion of either additional school support and/or increased student fees.
Listing of American Conference NIL Collectives by School:
Questions on our data? Contact us at: NIL-NCAA.com
Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke, CPA Washington, DC 