College sports have become huge business (no matter what the NCAA wants you to believe), and football is the cash cow that often provides almost all of the revenue for the entire athletics department. The Big Ten is the richest conference in all of college sports, so which football programs make the most money? Here's how all 14 stack up against each other:
*Numbers, via PennLive.com, are from the fiscal year spanning from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, so basically the 2015 season*
14) Purdue Boilermakers - $18.7 million in revenue
Difference from previous year: up $1.6 million
Profit: $1.8 million
13) Rutgers Scarlet Knights - $25.2 million
Difference from previous year: down $1.7 million
Profit: unknown
12) Maryland Terrapins - $30.1 million
Difference from previous year: down $800K
Profit: $9.3 million
11) Illinois Fighting Illini - $32.9 million
Difference from previous year: up $2.1 million
Profit: unknown
10) Indiana Hoosiers - $35.2 million
Difference from previous year: up $7.7 million
Profit: $11 million
9) Northwestern Wildcats - $36.2 million
Difference from previous year: up $4.5 million
Profit: $11.6 million
8) Minnesota Golden Gophers - $49.3 million
Difference from previous year: up $13.5 million
Profit: unknown
7) Iowa Hawkeyes - $56.6 million
Difference from previous year: up $4.2 million
Profit: $26.2 million
6) Michigan State Spartans - $64.7 million
Difference from previous year: up $5.5 million
Profit: $32.7 million
5) Nebraska Cornhuskers - $65.0 million
Difference from previous year: up $4.4 million
Profit: $37.5 million
4) Wisconsin Badgers - $71.2 million
Difference from previous year: up $28.4 million
Profit: $40.5 million
3) Penn State Nittany Lions - $75.5 million
Difference from previous year: up $4.2 million
Profit: $39.5 million
2) Ohio State Buckeyes - $86.6 million
Difference from previous year: up $3.1 million
Profit: $49.3 million
1) Michigan Wolverines - $97.1 million
Difference from previous year: up $8.8 million
Profit: $60.6 million
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