College Football is big business. The NCAA may claim it's not about he money, but college football makes a ton of money each season and the programs are valuable. While the vast majority of schools don't make money because of expenses, their revenue totals are very high.
The Pac-12 is one of the biggest conferences in college athletics, but it's a bit of a surprise the only one school generated at least $100 million in revenue. Based on the revenues from the 2014-15 season, as gathered by USA Today, we've put together the best money making athletic departments in the Pac-12.
But before we get started, it's important to note that revenues don't include the expenses. While each team's expenses are listed, the revenues are the first numbers you'll see next to the school name. Where applicable, there's also a section for subsidy. That's money given to the athletic department from the school to help balance the budget. One final note - if you're looking for USC or Stanford, they aren't on the USA's Today data, so they weren't included. With all that out of the way, here are The 6 Pac-12 Programs Making The Most Money:
6. Arizona State Sun Devils - $84 million
The Sun Devils, at first glance, made $84 million while spending $83 million. However, that's not a deceptive figure. ASU also has a $19 million subsidy from the University that helps balance the budget. That means that, in reality, the Sun Devils lose money from athletics. That's the reality for most college programs in the nation.
5. Cal Golden Bears - $85 million
The Cal Golden Bears made $85 million, but also spent $94 million. While Cal's subsidy is just over $1 million, they're losing money. Compared to a school like Arizona losing $10 million (including the subsidy) isn't that bad.
4. Arizona Wildcats - $87 million
The Wildcats made $87 million last year, and spent just $80 million. However, that doesn't include the schools subsidy. Arizona picked up nearly $9 million from the University to help balance the budget. But with a near $7 million profit, it's not clear why Arizona had nearly $9 million in subsidy. In terms of net gain/loss, Arizona is close to breaking even.
3. UCLA Bruins - $96 million
UCLA spent and made the same amount: $96,912,767 million. However, that's only because the Bruins were bailed out by a $2.7 million subsidy. Still, that's pretty close to breaking even. For more Pac-12 coverage, download the Chat Sports app.
2. Washington Huskies - $103 million
If you're surprised at Washington checking in at No. 2, you're probably not alone. The Huskies made a lot of money, but spent even more. The Huskies had $104 million in expenses, and that doesn't include nearly $4 million in subsidies.
1. Oregon Ducks - $105 million
With Oregon's Nike connections, it shouldn't be a major surprise that they are at the top. The Ducks reeled nearly $106 million last year, and spent just under $104 million. Although the Ducks had a $2 million subsidy, they basically broke even. For the vast majority of college programs, that's what the goal is.
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