NCAA Revenue Sharing – Swimming Teams

Estimated 2025-26 Revenue Sharing – Swimming 

Under the proposed settlement in House V NCAA, schools will be able to share revenue with their athletes not to exceed the lesser of 22% of their annual athletic revenues or $ 21 million per year. We analyzed the most recent NCAA financial reporting from several NCAA I public universities and arrived at some estimates for swim team revenue sharing scheduled to begin in the 2025-26 season:

Women’s Swim Teams:

Est Revenue Sharing
Women's Swimming
ConferenceSwimming Team
Revenue Share
# of
Swimmers
Average per
Swimmer
Revenue %
Swimming
Est Revenue
Sharing 2025
Total 2023
Revenue *
Iowa State Big-12 111,446 28 3,980 0.6% 18,365,450 83,479,317
TennesseeSEC 74,303 30 2,477 0.4% 21,000,000 134,277,934
Penn State Big Ten 61,441 30 2,048 0.3% 21,000,000 152,551,993
MissouriSEC 60,814 30 2,027 0.3% 19,418,455 88,265,705
UtahBig-12 32,272 30 1,076 0.2% 16,049,837 72,953,805
WisconsinBig Ten 25,903 29 893 0.1% 21,000,000 137,164,382
Washington State Pac-12 23,314 26 897 0.2% 12,709,241 57,769,277
GeorgiaSEC 17,479 30 583 0.1% 21,000,000 125,667,798
IdahoBig Sky 10,009 30 334 0.8% 1,270,624 5,775,565
Ohio State Big Ten 9,023 30 301 0.0% 21,000,000 215,167,642
MinnesotaBig Ten 7,300 31 235 0.0% 21,000,000 113,102,807
Illinois Big Ten 5,018 30 167 0.0% 21,000,000 99,358,957
Louisiana State SEC 2,779 30 93 0.0% 21,000,000 138,574,324
ArkansasSEC 1,140 24 47 0.0% 21,000,000 132,103,766
Colorado State MW 769 29 27 0.0% 5,117,008 23,259,125
Georgia SouthernSBC 198 25 8 0.0% 2,095,770 9,526,227
P5 School Average1333,249
29 1,1400.2%19,657,153119,264,439

Men’s Swim Teams:

Est Revenue Sharing
Men's Swimming
ConferenceSwimming Team
Revenue Share
# of
Swimmers
Average per
Swimmer
Revenue %
Swimming
Est Revenue
Sharing 2025
Total 2023
Revenue *
MissouriSEC 61,080 30 2,035 0.3% 19,418,455 88,265,705
Penn State Big Ten 46,107 27 1,708 0.2% 21,000,000 152,551,993
TennesseeSEC 44,625 30 1,488 0.2% 21,000,000 134,277,934
UtahBig-12 26,762 30 892 0.2% 16,049,837 72,953,805
WisconsinBig Ten 24,908 30 830 0.1% 21,000,000 137,164,382
GeorgiaSEC 17,479 30 583 0.1% 21,000,000 125,667,798
Ohio State Big Ten 14,373 30 479 0.1% 21,000,000 215,167,642
MinnesotaBig Ten 7,300 30 235 0.0% 21,000,000 113,102,807
Louisiana State SEC 2,779 30 93 0.0% 21,000,000 138,574,324
P5 School Average9 27,268 30 927 0.1% 20,274,255 130,858,488

Estimated revenue sharing is allocated per team based on the percentage of that team’s revenues to revenue from all sports as reported in the school’s most recent (2023) NCAA financial reporting. A significant variable here is athletic department revenue not allocated to a specific team.  Based on the NCAA reports this can be anywhere from 6% to 37% of school athletic department revenue. Our estimates assume this non-specific revenue will be allocated in the same proportion as the team’s revenue percentage to all sports.

Football and Men’s basketball account for close to 95% of all specific team allocated revenues at Power Conference schools, and athletes in these two sports will be the major beneficiaries of revenue sharing. Consequently, revenue sharing available to athletes in virtually all other sports will be minimal to modest at most schools. The NCAA and its member schools are well aware of this disparity and have consequently proposed to significantly increase the number of potential scholarships available to NCAA athletes.

For swimming, the proposal is to increase the maximum number of athletic scholarships for women’s swimming from 14 to 30 per team and for men’s swimming from 9.9 to 30 per team – this will also represent the limit of players on an NCAA I swim roster.  So in theory, all 30 swimmers (and divers) on a team could receive a full scholarship. However, scholarships awards are optional – a school can fully fund a sport, or make awards less than the maximum allowed. 

* Computed Athletic Department revenue includes event tickets and admission fees, game guarantees, TV, media, licensing, advertising, sponsorships and royalty rights, bowl game, NCAA and conference distributions and all related revenues. Revenue does not include direct or indirect school support, student fees or unrecompensed (i.e. charitable) contributions to the athletic department from alumni and boosters.


Additions or Changes? Contact us at: [email protected]
 

Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke, CPA Washington, DC