College Sports by the Numbers for 2007-2008Academic Year
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Data Highlights
- Only a small share of students at colleges and universities participated in intercollegiate athletics during the 2007-2008 academic year. The overall average participation for the 2,038 schools reporting to the Department of Education was 8 percent for men and 5 percent for women.
- On the whole only two intercollegiate sports, men's football ($953 million) and basketball ($269 million), generated significant earnings
- Football earnings are largely concentrated in a few programs. About 58 percent of intercollegiate football programs reported losses or no earnings. Although there are 848 college football teams, the top 13 earners accounted for over half of all the earnings.
- Financial success is similarly concentrated in a few men's college basketball programs. About 65 percent of intercollegiate basketball programs reported losses or no earnings. Although there are 1,959 college basketball teams, the top 14 earners accounted for over half of all earnings.
- Some football programs show heavy losses, with 24 programs reporting losses greater than $1 million. Reflecting the high losses in a few programs, the average loss was reported to be $359,000 and the median loss, about $57,000.
- All other intercollegiate men's and women's sports recorded overall losses, $266 million for men and $647 million for women.
- Women's basketball proved especially expensive, with only the national champion reporting earnings among the final top 25 teams. The other top teams racked up losses totaling $38 million.
- Some school intercollegiate athletic programs reported especially heavy losses, for example: Towson University ($8.2 million), Elon University ($7.1 million), Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) ($5.8 million), Indiana State University($2.5 million) and the University of Northern Iowa ($2.0 million).
- A number of schools reported almost perfectly offsetting expenses for the revenues they received from each intercollegiate sport. These schools frequently reported higher team revenues than were reported at other schools. The Department of Education provided no explanation for such balanced accounts, but the data possibly suggest differing accounting practices.
Overview
The data below was taken from the 2007-2008 Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) Reports, which the U.S. government requires colleges and universities to submit annually. (See U.S. Department of Education Website for Original Data.)
In the following charts, earnings or losses are calculated by subtracting total reported expenses from total reported revenues. A number of schools reported no earnings or losses, suggesting that their accounting differed from the other schools or that they were under a different funding scheme (see below for partial list).
Total College Student Enrollment
| | No. of Students | Pct of Total |
| Men | 3,752,390 | 45 |
| Women | 4,523,421 | 55 |
No. of Student Participants in College Sports Teams
| No. of Participants | Pct. of Total Enrollment By Gender |
|---|
| Men | 316,461 | 8 |
| Men* | 203,705 | 5 |
Women | 223,422 | 5 |
* Without participants in men's football and basketball.
No. of Student Participants in Men's Football and Basketball
| Sport | No. of Participants |
|---|
| Football | 80,981 |
| Basketball | 30,511 |
Total | 111,492 |
| As pct of total male participants | 35 |
Football
Summary of College Football Finances
(billion dollars)
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Revenues | 2.852 |
| Expenses | 1.898 |
Balance | 0.953 |
Number of 2007 College Football Teams = 848
Pct of Total Earnings Accounted for by 50 Top Earning College Teams = 93
Football Earnings and Losses
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Number of Teams Reporting Earnings | 358 |
| As pct of all teams | 42 |
Average Earnings | $2,900,000 |
| Median Earnings | $25,714 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Zero Earnings | 288 |
| As pct of all teams | 34 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Losses | 202 |
| As pct of All Teams | 24 |
Average Loss | $359,082 |
| Median Loss | $56,804 |
Total Earnings* for the Final 2008 AP Top 25 Football Teams
million dollars
| Rank | School | Earnings |
|---|
| 1 | Florida | 47.3 |
| 2 | Utah | 4.2 |
3 | USC | 7.6 |
| 4 | Texas | 52.9 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 22.1 |
6 | Alabama | 41.2 |
| 7 | TCU | 0.0 |
| 8 | Penn State | 37.2 |
9 | Ohio State | 32.1 |
| 10 | Oregon | 8.2 |
| 11 | Boise State | 1.6 |
12 | Texas Tech | 7.5 |
| 13 | Georgia | 48.0 |
| 14 | Mississippi | 13.0 |
15 | Virginia Tech | 12.3 |
| 16 | Oklahoma State | 7.6 |
| 17 | Cincinnati | 0.0 |
18 | Oregon State | 19.1 |
| 19 | Missouri | 8.7 |
| 20 | Iowa | 11.8 |
21 | Florida State | 3.9 |
| 22 | Georgia Tech | 15.2 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 9.8 |
24 | Michigan State | 25.9 |
| 25 | Brigham Young | 1.8 |
| Total | 438.9 |
| As pct of total football earnings | 46 |
*Earnings for the 2007-2008 academic year.
Top Earning Football Teams in 2007
| School | Earnings (million $) |
|---|
| University of Texas | 52.9 |
| University of Georgia | 48.0 |
University of Florida | 47.3 |
| University of Notre Dame | 43.2 |
| University of Alabama | 41.2 |
| University of Michigan | 40.7 |
| Penn State University | 37.2 |
| University of South Carolina | 36.7 |
| Auburn University | 36.5 |
| Louisiana State University | 34.8 |
| Ohio State University | 32.1 |
| University of Nebraska | 30.2 |
| Michigan State University | 25.9 |
| Total | 506.7 |
| As pct of total football earnings | 53 |
Top 10 Money Losing Football Teams in 2007
| School | Loss (million $) |
|---|
| Colorado State University | 4.4 |
| Duke University | 3.9 |
SUNY at Buffalo | 2.4 |
| Elon University | 2.4 |
| University of Houston | 2.3 |
| Towson University | 2.1 |
| Western Michigan University | 2.0 |
| CalPolytech State-San Luis Obispo | 1.9 |
| Florida Atlantic University | 1.9 |
| Rice University | 1.8 |
Men's Basketball
Summary of College Basketball Finances
| Item | Billion $ |
|---|
| Revenues | 1.271 |
| Expenses | 1.002 |
Balance | 0.269 |
Number of 2007 College Basketball Teams = 1,959
Pct of Total Earnings Accounted for by 50 Top Earning College Teams = 86
Men's Basketball Earnings and Losses
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Number of Teams Reporting Earnings | 695 |
| As pct of all teams | 35 |
Average Earnings | $454,825 |
| Median Earnings | $7,687 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Zero Earnings | 825 |
| As pct of all teams | 43 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Losses | 439 |
| As pct of All Teams | 22 |
Average Loss | $106,917 |
| Median Loss | $18,887 |
Total Earnings for the Final 2008 AP Top 25 Basketball Teams
million dollars
| Rank | School | Earnings |
|---|
| 1 | Louisville | 16.6 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 11.1 |
3 | Memphis | 0.0 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 5.0 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 1.2 |
6 | Duke | 0.9 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 1.3 |
| 8 | Michigan State | 9.0 |
9 | Missouri | 4.1 |
| 10 | Gonzaga | 1.4 |
| 11 | Villanova | 1.0 |
12 | Wake Forest | 8.5 |
| 13 | Syracuse | 9.1 |
| 14 | Kansas | 5.2 |
15 | Washington | 3.5 |
| 16 | Florida State | 3.0 |
| 17 | Purdue | 3.3 |
18 | UCLA | 4.3 |
| 19 | Arizona State | 1.6 |
| 20 | Xavier | 3.7 |
21 | LSU | 1.1 |
| 22 | Butler | 0.0 |
| 23 | Marquette | 4.5 |
24 | Clemson | 0.8 |
| 25 | Utah | 3.5 |
| 25 | Total | 103.7 |
Top 10 Earning Basketball Teams in 2007
| School | Earnings (million $) |
|---|
| Univ. of Louisville | 16.6 |
| Univ. of Arizona | 12.0 |
Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | 11.1 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | 10.1 |
| Ohio State University | 9.6 |
| Syracuse University | 9.1 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 9.0 |
| Michigan State University | 9.0 |
| University of Illinois-Champ-Urbana | 8.5 |
| Wake Forest University | 8.5 |
Top 10 Money Losing Basketball Teams in 2007
| School | Loss (million $) |
|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 1.8 |
| Colorado State University | 1.7 |
University of Central Florida | 1.0 |
| Towson University | 1.0 |
| Northern Illinois University | 1.0 |
| College of Charleston | 1.0 |
| Delaware State University | 1.0 |
| East Carolina University | 0.9 |
| Louisiana Tech University | 0.9 |
| University of North Texas | 0.9 |
Men's Ice Hockey
Summary of Men's Ice Hockey Finances for 2007
(million dollars)
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Revenues | 103.0 |
| Expenses | 128.7 |
Balance | -25.7 |
Number of 2007 Men's Ice Hockey Teams = 145
Pct of Total Earnings Accounted for by 50 Top Earning College Teams = 51
Men's Ice Hockey Earnings and Losses in 2007
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Number of Teams Reporting Earnings | 59 |
| As pct of all teams | 41 |
Average Earnings | $278,420 |
| Median Earnings | $14,097 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Zero Earnings | 47 |
| As pct of all teams | 32 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Losses | 39 |
| As pct of All Teams | 27 |
Average Loss | $155,568 |
| Median Loss | $26,134 |
Total 2007 Earnings for Final Ranked USA Today/USA Men's Ice Hockey Teams
million dollars
| Rank | School | Earnings/Loss |
|---|
| 1 | Boston University | 1.7 |
| 2 | Miami (Ohio) | 0.0 |
3 | Vermont | 1.3 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | -2.0 |
| 5 | Michigan | 0.04 |
6 | New Hampshire | 0.6 |
| 7 | Denver | 0.0 |
| 8 | Minnesota-Duluth | 0.6 |
9 | Bemidji State | 0.0 |
| 10 | Yale | 0.0 |
| 11 | Northeastern | -0.2 |
12 | Cornell | 0.6 |
| 13 | North Dakota | 1.9 |
| 14 | Air Force | NA |
15 | Princeton | 0.0 |
Women's Basketball
Summary of Women's 2007 College Basketball Finances
(million dollars)
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Revenues | 499 |
| Expenses | 662 |
Balance | -163 |
Number of 2007 College Basketball Teams = 1,872
Pct of Total Earnings Accounted for by 50 Top Earning College Teams = 58
Women's Basketball 2007 Earnings and Losses
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Number of Teams Reporting Earnings | 550 |
| As pct of all teams | 29 |
Average Earnings | $13,180 |
| Median Earnings | $4,365 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Zero Earnings | 781 |
| As pct of all teams | 42 |
|
| Number of Teams Reporting Losses | 541 |
| As pct of All Teams | 29 |
Average Loss | $314,276 |
| Median Loss | $26,979 |
Total Earnings/Losses* for the Final 2008 AP Top 25 Women's Basketball Teams
million dollars
| Rank | School | Earnings |
|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | 0.7 |
| 2 | Stanford | -1.5 |
3 | Maryland | -1.3 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | -2.3 |
| 5 | Baylor | 0.0 |
6 | Duke | -2.9 |
| 7 | Louisville | -1.6 |
| 8 | Auburn | -2.7 |
9 | Texas A&M | -3.4 |
| 10 | Ohio State | -1.9 |
| 11 | North Carolina | -1.8 |
12 | Florida State | 0.0 |
| 13 | California | -0.9 |
| 14 | Vanderbilt | 0.0 |
15 | Pittsburgh | -1.2 |
| 16 | South Dakota State | 0.0 |
| 17 | Iowa State | -2.4 |
18 | Tennessee | -0.1 |
| 19 | Arizona State | -1.9 |
| 20 | Xavier | -1.6 |
21 | Kansas State/td> | -1.8 |
| 22 | Florida | -2.5 |
| 23 | Notre Dame | -2.1 |
24 | Virginia | -2.7 |
| 25 | Texas | -2.7 |
| 25 | subtotal | -38.6 |
*2007-08 academic year
Men's Money-Losing College Sports
All intercollegiate men's sports, with the exception of football and basketball, lose money on the whole. These money-losing sports are: baseball, track and field, cross country, fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, skiing, soccer, swimming, diving, tennis, volleyball, water polo, wrestling, archery, beach volleyball, bowling, rodeo, sailing, table tennis, and weight lifting.
Total Revenues and Expenses for Men's Money-Losing Sports
| Item | Million $ |
|---|
| Revenues | 1,212.8 |
| Expenses | 1,479.0 |
| Balance | -266.1 |
Participation in Men's Money-Losing Sports
| Item | |
|---|
| Participating Men in Money-Losing Sports | 203,705 |
| |
| Participating Men as Share of Male Student Body | 5.4 |
Women's Money-Losing College Sports
All intercollegiate women's sports, on the whole, lose money. These sports are: basketball, field hockey, track and field, cross country, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo, wrestling, archery, badminton, beach volleyball, bowling, rodeo, sailing, table tennis, and weight lifting.
Total Revenues and Expenses for Women's Money Losing Sports
| Item | Million $ |
|---|
| Revenues | 1,890.0 |
| Expenses | 2,573.8 |
| Balance | -647.0 |
Participation in Women's Money Losing Sports
| Item | |
|---|
| Participating Women in Money Losing Sports | 223,422 |
| |
| Participating Women as Share of Female Student Body | 4.9 |
Schools Reporting Perfectly Balanced Accounts
The Department of Education gives no explanation for why some schools report perfectly balanced accounts from nearly all sports.
Among the larger schools with such accounts were: Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Richmond, Appalachian State University, George Washington University, Columbia University, South Dakota State University, Arkansas State University, University California (Davis), Quinnipiac University, South Connecticut State University, Grambling University, Morehead State University, College of the Holy Cross, Wayne State University, University of New Mexico, Montclair State University, Hofstra University, Niagara University, Miami University (Ohio), University of Toledo, Temple University, Texas Christian University, Ball State University, Butler University, DePaul University, and Western Illinois University.
The following schools reported perfect balances with the exception of one or two sports: Yale University (sailing and other sports), Boston College (football), Georgetown University (men's basketball) and Villanova University (men's basketball).
Red Ink Institutions for 2007-2008
The following are examples of schools with athletic programs deeply in the red.
1. Towson University
| | No. of Students |
| Men | 5,539 |
| Women | 8,641 |
| Total | 14,180 |
Earnings/Loss By Team (dollars)
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | -452,743 | 0 |
| Basketball | -1,007,080 | -793,227 |
Field Hockey | 0 | -345,575 |
| Football | -2,115,236 | |
| Golf | 106,716 | -90,544 |
Gymnastics | 0 | -275,763 |
| Lacrosse | -377,083 | -433,115 |
| Soccer | -414,098 | -286,948 |
Softball | 0 | -380,865 |
| Swimming and Diving | -169,736 | -225,934 |
| Tennis | 0 | -86,614 |
Track & Field and Cross Country | 0 | -253,809 |
| Volleyball | 0 | -407,653 |
| Subtotal | -4,429,260 | -3,580,047 |
Total | | -8,222,739 |
Participants By Team
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | 35 | 0 |
| Basketball | 18 | 16 |
Field Hockey | 0 | 24 |
| Football | 110 | |
| Golf | 13 | 7 |
Gymnastics | 0 | 14 |
| Lacrosse | 56 | 34 |
| Soccer | 31 | 29 |
Softball | 0 | 19 |
| Swimming and Diving | 24 | 35 |
| Tennis | 0 | 15 |
Track & Field and Cross Country | 0 | 84 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 13 |
| Subtotal | 287 | 290 |
Total | | 577 |
Total Participants as pct of Student Body = 4.1
2. Elon University
| | No. of Students |
| Men | 2,843 |
| Women | 4,832 |
| Total | 7,675 |
Earnings/Loss By Team (dollars)
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | -414,504 | 0 |
| Basketball | -624,273 | -765,828 |
Cross Country | -94,634 | -158,575 |
| Football | -2,42,308 | 0 |
| Golf | -164,834 | -168,854 |
Soccer | -378,709 | -436,067 |
| Softball | 0 | -455,501 |
| Tennis | -228,490 | -188,366 |
Track & Field | 0 | -158,575 |
| Volleyball | 0 | -465,145 |
| Subtotal | -4,330,752 | -2,796,911 |
Total | | -7,127,663 |
Participants By Team
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | 38 | 0 |
| Basketball | 15 | 15 |
Cross Country | 15 | 19 |
| Football | 96 | 0 |
| Golf | 17 | 8 |
Soccer | 27 | 30 |
| Softball | 0 | 18 |
| Tennis | 11 | 8 |
Track & Field | 0 | 34 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 13 |
| Total | 219 | 145 |
Total Men and Women Participants = 364
Total Participants as pct of Student Body = 5.0
3. Southern Illinois University (Carbondale)
| | No. of Students |
| Men | 8,215 |
| Women | 6,271 |
| Total | 14,486 |
Earnings/Loss By Team (dollars)
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | -239,373 | 0 |
| Basketball | -425,133 | -807,841 |
Football | -1,763,207 | 0 |
| Golf | -81,584 | -134,966 |
Softball | 0 | -437,297 |
| Swimming and Diving | -211,702 | -239,375 |
| Tennis | -160,650 | -196,798 |
Track & Field | -336,351 | -388,436 |
| Volleyball | 0 | -374,179 |
| Subtotal | -3,218,000 | -2,578,892 |
Total | | -5,796,892 |
Participants By Team
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | 31 | 0 |
| Basketball | 13 | 15 |
Football | 105 | 0 |
| Golf | 7 | 10 |
Softball | 0 | 18 |
| Swimming and Diving | 19 | 21 |
| Tennis | 7 | 8 |
Track & Field | 94 | 105 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 12 |
| Subtotal | 276 | 189 |
Total Men and Women Participants = 465
Total Participants as pct of Student Body = 3.3
4. Indiana State University
| | No. of Students |
| Men | 3,647 |
| Women | 3,615 |
| Total | 7,262 |
Earnings/Loss By Team (dollars)
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | -202,348 | 0 |
| Basketball | -308,438 | -286,217 |
Track & Field and Cross Country | -168,825 | -179,420 |
| Football | -733,515 | 0 |
| Golf | 0 | 0 |
Soccer | 0 | -134,860 | Softball | 0 | -143,379 |
| Tennis | -62,684 | -96,057 |
Volleyball | 0 | -182,152 |
| Subtotal | -1,468,810 | -1,024,085 |
Total | | -2,492,895 |
H3>Participants By Team
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | 31 | 0 |
| Basketball | 14 | 13 |
Track & Field and Cross Country | 109 | 90 |
| Football | 90 | 0 |
| Golf | 0 | 8 |
Soccer | 0 | 23 | Softball | 0 | 21 |
| Tennis | 7 | 7 |
Volleyball | 0 | 15 |
| Subtotal | 251 | 177 |
Total Men and Women Participants = 428
Total Participants as pct of Student Body = 5.9
5. University of Northern Iowa
| | No. of Students |
| Men | 4,224 |
| Women | 5,582 |
| Total | 9,806 |
Earnings/Loss By Team (dollars)
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | -255,031 | 0 |
| Basketball | 325,762 | -257,439 |
Football | -523,348 | 0 |
| Golf | 167,804 | -66,574 |
Soccer | 0 | -205,153 | Softball | 0 | -170,042 |
| Swimming | 0 | -142,472 |
| Tennis | 0 | -119,497 |
Track & Field and Cross Country | -186,663 | -197,012 |
| Volleyball | 0 | -220,975 |
| Wrestling | -228,905 | 0 |
| Subtotal | -700,381 | -1,379,164 |
Total | | -2,079,545 |
Participants By Team
| Team | Men | Women |
|---|
| Baseball | 35 | 0 |
| Basketball | 16 | 14 |
Football | 105 | 0 |
| Golf | 15 | 9 |
Soccer | 0 | 24 | Softball | 0 | 20 |
| Swimming | 0 | 25 |
| Tennis | 0 | 7 |
Track & Field and Cross Country | 112 | 96 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 17 |
| Wrestling | 30 | 0 |
| Subtotal | 313 | 212 |
Total Men and Women Participants = 525
Total Participants as pct of Student Body = 5.7
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