Which Schools Make the Most Money from NCAA Football?

Football is one of the most popular sports to watch in America, so it’s no surprise how much money colleges can make from it. When it comes to driving in revenue, College Football in America knows how to do it.

If you’re curious as to which universities in America make the most money from NCAA football games, then look no further! In this article, we’ll be highlighting the top 5 schools that make the most money from NCAA football alone, including which teams make what amount, with data taken from USA Today’s NCAA Finances: Revenues and Expenses by school. We’ll also include 15 honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the top 5.

5. University of Georgia (SEC) – $203,048,566 total revenue

In 2023, the University of Georgia’s ticket sales racked up $37 million, with media rights bringing in another $20+ million. Ranked fifth out of all college football teams for highest revenue, Georgia is consistently placed as having one of the most ‘profitable’ (colleges are non-profit organizations) athletic programs.

4. University of Michigan (Big 10) – $210,652,287 total revenue

For the University of Michigan’s 2023 season, they acquired approximately $210 million in revenue, with a combination of media rights driving in $47+ million, contributions capturing $42+ million, and royalties, sponsorships, licensing, etc generating over $33 million. For the 2024-2025 year, Michigan’s budget is projected to be the largest in school history, hopefully creating a surplus that gets invested back into the sports program.

3. University of Alabama (SEC) – $214,365,357 total revenue

Alabama is one of the many Universities in the SEC to generate close to $200 million in total revenue. According to school records from 2023, ticket sales reached around $42 million, with media rights bringing in an additional $55.6 million.

2. University of Texas (Big 12) – $239,290,648 total revenue

As the second-highest total revenue driver in all of NCAA Football, the University of Texas makes close to $240 million in total revenue. To put into perspective how much money this program makes, donations alone in 2023 generated $86 million. Not only that, but sponsorships and licensing drove in another $55 million, in addition to the ticket sales racking up $63+ million. It’s rumored that part of a contributing factor to Texas Football’s success was the opening of a new basketball arena on campus.

1. Ohio State (Big 10) – $251,615,345 total revenue

Finally, the number 1 college that makes the most money from NCAA football is Ohio State. It is reported from 2023 that the Big 1-0 conference team makes over $250+ million in one season of football. They even achieved a $55 million surplus from their 2022-2023 season, allowing them to invest in better equipment, training facilities, etc. In the end, there’s no other university quite as big as Ohio State when it comes to making football revenue, so they go down as the highest revenue-generating school in all of NCAA football.

Top 20 Colleges by NCAA Football Revenue

#	College	Division	Revenue
1	Ohio State	(Big 10)	$251,615,345
2	University of Texas	(Big 12)	$239,290,648
3	University of Alabama	(SEC)	$214,365,357
4	University of Michigan	(Big 10)	$210,652,287
5	University of Georgia	(SEC)	$203,048,566
6	LSU	(SEC)	$199,309,382
7	Texas A&M	(SEC)	$193,139,619
8	University of Florida	(SEC)	$190,417,139
9	Penn State	(Big 10)	$181,227,448
10	University of Oklahoma	(Big 12)	$177,320,217
11	University of Auburn	(SEC)	$174,568,442
12	Michigan State	(Big 10)	$172,799,513
13	University of Indiana	(Big 10)	$166,761,471
14	University of Virginia	(ACC)	$161,916,231
15	Florida State	(ACC)	$161,141,884
16	University of Kentucky	(SEC)	$159,079,024
17	Clemson University	(ACC)	$158,283,618
18	University of Tennessee	(SEC)	$154,566,935
19	University of Oregon	(Pac-12)	$153,510,555
20	University of Arkansas	(SEC)	$152,513,755