Forbes has put together an interesting multimedia piece that places a value on the top NCAA football teams.
Some highlights . . .
Texas is No. 1 on the list in terms of both total value and profit:
Team value: $139 million
Revenue: $109 million
Profit: $82 million
Conference: Big 12
Head coach: Mack Brown*
The Longhorns generated $34.5 million from ticket sales alone last year. The majority of the remaining revenue came from contributions ($30 million), royalties and sponsorships ($26 million) and distributions from the NCAA and Big 12 ($15 million). This is the second straight year that Texas has broken $100 million in football revenue; no other team in college football history has ever crossed the $100 million mark.
Notre Dame is No. 2:
Team value: $117 million
Revenue: $78 million
Profit: $46 million
Conference: Independent
Head coach: Brian Kelly
Last year’s undefeated trip the BCS National Championship netted Notre Dame a direct BCS payout of more than $6 million. The Irish also hosted a seventh home game last year, up from six in 2011.
Tennessee is at the bottom of the list at No. 20:
Team value: $63 million
Revenue: $55 million
Profit: $28 million
Conference: SEC
Head coach: Butch Jones
The Volunteers suffered the biggest drop on our list, down 25% from a value of $63 million last year. The dip in value has a lot to do with the team buying out former head coach Derek Dooley and his staff, which could cost more than $9 million over four years. The athletic department has also greatly restricted its academic contributions while it stabilizes its finances. Tennessee’s athletic department, formerly one of the biggest funders of academic programming with annual contributions over $6 million, gave just $1.3 million back to its university last year.
The entire list here.