Conference Members 2023-24 2025-26
Illinois Big Ten Big Ten
Indiana Big Ten Big Ten
Iowa Big Ten Big Ten
Maryland Big Ten Big Ten
Michigan Big Ten Big Ten
Michigan State Big Ten Big Ten
Minnesota Big Ten Big Ten
Nebraska Big Ten Big Ten
Northwestern Big Ten Big Ten
Ohio State Big Ten Big Ten
Penn State Big Ten Big Ten
Purdue Big Ten Big Ten
Rutgers Big Ten Big Ten
Wisconsin Big Ten Big Ten
Oregon Pac-12 Big Ten
Southern Cal Pac-12 Big Ten
UCLA Pac-12 Big Ten
Washington Pac-12 Big Ten
Total Members 14 18
Estimated NCAA Revenue Sharing 2025-26: Big Ten Schools
Football and Men’s basketball account for close to 90% of team specific revenues at most Power Conference schools, and athletes in these two sports will be the major beneficiaries of revenue sharing:
| Estimated Revenue Sharing Big Ten Schools 2025-26 | Revenue Share % | Team / Sport Allocation ($) | Eligible Athletes | Average per Athlete ($) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Football | 75.1% | 15,399,304 | 105 | 146,660 | |
| Men's Basketball | 15.0% | 3,062,084 | 15 | 204,139 | |
| All Other Sports | 9.9% | 2,038,612 | 563 | 3,621 | |
| Big Ten Averages | 100.0% | $ 20,500,000 | 683 | $ 30,015 |
These are averages per athlete, a few players per team will receive substantially higher than the average, while many will get much less. For athletes who see little if any playing time, their revenue share will also likely be minimal. Estimates are based on team specific revenues as reported to the NCAA.
Annual Operating Expenses – Big Ten schools 2022-24:
Per 2024 EADA reporting, average annual athletic department operating costs were $ 171 million for Big Ten schools, a 27% increase in expenses over a 2-year span:
| Athletic Department Annual Expenses * | FY 2024 ($) | FY 2023 ($) | FY 2022 ($) | 2-year % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | | | |
| Ohio State | 262,172,467 | 234,409,941 | 209,874,565 | 25% |
| Southern California | 242,378,198 | 212,013,703 | 187,650,353 | 29% |
| Michigan | 220,814,081 | 202,501,688 | 176,070,866 | 25% |
| Penn State | 199,046,216 | 191,411,846 | 174,110,034 | 14% |
| Washington | 187,686,516 | 140,259,588 | 136,494,743 | 38% |
| Nebraska | 175,438,100 | 160,904,566 | 124,061,227 | 41% |
| Wisconsin | 172,873,023 | 173,758,101 | 132,104,285 | 31% |
| UCLA | 170,897,220 | 141,964,728 | 131,106,913 | 30% |
| Indiana | 164,249,955 | 126,886,128 | 113,738,066 | 44% |
| Michigan State | 164,109,191 | 149,254,610 | 128,196,083 | 28% |
| Rutgers | 155,852,426 | 130,221,793 | 130,891,215 | 19% |
| Iowa | 150,493,777 | 140,482,011 | 126,680,448 | 19% |
| Illinois | 149,390,875 | 134,767,269 | 113,652,548 | 31% |
| Oregon | 148,961,287 | 128,532,281 | 121,162,341 | 23% |
| Minnesota | 138,599,675 | 128,573,351 | 113,686,733 | 22% |
| Maryland | 132,764,504 | 121,160,348 | 114,385,462 | 16% |
| Northwestern | 124,080,838 | 117,587,514 | 105,383,998 | 18% |
| Purdue | 116,766,603 | 105,239,251 | 89,722,572 | 30% |
| Average per School | 170,920,831 | 152,218,262 | 134,942,914 | 27% |
* Expenses per Equity in Athletics Act (EADA) annual reporting. These results are comparable to NCAA membership reporting with one primary exception – EADA reporting does not include payments made for athletic facilities debt service and leases. Consequently, due to the inclusion of these payments, average annual expenses for Big Ten schools per NCAA reporting was $ 187 million in 2024 or about $ 16 million higher per school (see tables below). See our methodology page for more detail and disclosures.
Big Ten athletic departments are incurring significant operating losses even before the effect of Revenue Sharing
Per 2024 NCAA reporting, Big Ten athletic departments averaged a net operating loss of $ 55 million per school, ranging from a low of $ 28 million to a high of $ 98 million. Operating losses were funded by booster contributions averaging $ 42 million per school and combined school support and student fees averaging $ 6 million per school:
| Annual Operating Results Big Ten Schools ($) | Average per School 2024 | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Revenue (see below) | 131,829,564 | 96,755,050 | 194,549,658 |
| Operating Expenses (see below) | 187,554,432 | 131,292,067 | 292,670,315 |
Net Operating Loss | - 55,724,868 | - 28,560,013 | - 98,120,657 |
|
| Booster Contributions | 41,286,441 | 11,382,899 | 77,058,338 |
| School Support & Student Fees | 8,454,966 | -0- | 34,302,620 |
| Net Surplus (Deficit) | - 5,983,461 | - 41,507,426 | $ 6,709,374 |
Average athletics operating revenue for Big Ten schools was $ 133 million in 2024, ranging from a low of $ 96 million to a high of $ 194 million. Average athletic department contributions per school was $ 42 million, ranging from a low of $ 11 million to a high of $ 77 million:
| Annual Revenue & Support Big Ten Schools ($) | Average per School 2024 | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket Sales | 32,300,554 | 14,733,345 | 58,788,651 |
| Media & Conference Income | 53,720,101 | 50,110,386 | 63,125,470 |
| Bowl Game Distributions | 9,700,312 | 7,869,398 | 15,128,872 |
| NCAA Distributions | 4,822,750 | 4,017,798 | 5,650,903 |
| Game Day & Event Revenue | 5,877,649 | 1,999,064 | 15,225,413 |
| Licensing, Advertising & Sponsorships | 16,396,060 | 7,066,819 | 34,415,551 |
| Game Guarantees | 677,846 | -0- | 4,909,984 |
| Other Operating Income | 8,334,292 | 2,106,778 | 25,124,457 |
Total Operating Revenue | $ 131,829,564 | $ 96,755,050 | $ 194,549,658 |
|
| Booster Contributions | 41,286,441 | 11,382,899 | 77,058,338 |
| School Support & Student Fees | 8,454,966 | -0- | 28,617,806 |
| Total Revenue & Support | $ 181,570,971 | $ 127,768,033 | $ 254,933,664 |
Average athletic department operating expenses for Big Ten schools was $ 188 million in 2024, ranging from a low of $ 131 million to a high of $ 292 million:
| Annual Operating Expenses Big Ten Schools ($) | Average per School 2024 | Low Range | High Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries - Coaching Staff | 35,732,229 | 23,298,385 | 54,271,966 |
| Salaries - Admin & Support | 32,692,666 | 24,182,293 | 50,932,905 |
| Severance Payments | 4,092,079 | -0- | 22,178,901 |
| Student Athlete Financial Aid | 19,771,621 | 12,191,966 | 33,923,253 |
| Recruiting | 3,432,306 | 2,301,031 | 4,787,570 |
| Team Travel | 11,888,246 | 8,695,061 | 15,483,700 |
| Game Guarantees | 4,689,821 | 1,554,126 | 9,627,731 |
| Equipment & Uniforms | 4,783,477 | 2,520,928 | 7,113,626 |
| Game Day & Event Expenses | 6,877,078 | 2,778,173 | 17,005,619 |
| Fundraising & Marketing | 2,648,426 | 791,252 | 5,381,067 |
| Athletic Facilities payments | 16,276,103 | 162,046 | 33,684,201 |
| Medical expenses & insurance | 2,312,955 | 1,544,448 | 3,537,095 |
| Student Athlete Meals | 5,036,140 | 2,442,127 | 7,674,498 |
| Football Bowl Expenses | 2,824,463 | -0- | 12,113,937 |
| Overhead & Administration | 21,739,445 | 10,506,518 | 39,631,904 |
| Other Operating Expenses | 12,757,377 | 4,804,088 | 21,475,494 |
| Total Operating Expenses | $ 187,554,432 | $ 131,292,067 | $ 292,670,315 |
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 Big Ten NIL Collectives by School:
Questions on our data? Contact us at: NIL-NCAA.com
Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke, CPA Washington, DC 