USA Today released its database of total revenue figures for college athletic programs from 2022-23 yesterday. Wisconsin slotted in at No. 22 overall with a total revenue of $150,100,977.
The Badgers are the No. 7 Big Ten team on the list, with Ohio State taking home the top overall billing with a reported revenue of $251,615,345. Other Big Ten programs ahead of the Badgers include Michigan at No. 4, Penn State at No. 9, Michigan State at No. 12, Indiana at No. 13 and Iowa at No. 21.
The new age of college football can be seen on this list, with 17 of the top 25 schools that reported revenue coming from the Big Ten or SEC. That number is not getting any smaller moving forward with the Big 12’s Oklahoma and Texas set to join the SEC after this season and the Pac 12’s USC and UCLA set to join the Big Ten.
USA Today listed Wisconsin’s total expenses from last year at $147,807,183. Meaning the athletic department reportedly came away from 2022-23 with a $2,293,794 excess. That number is also sure to grow in the coming years as the Big Ten’s new television deal kicks in.
On3 noted the jump in schools making over $150 million, with nine current SEC schools above that mark compared to just one in 2014-15.
College athletics is a flourishing business these days. As we’ve seen across other sports including the NFL, these numbers tend to only grow with time. For Badger fans, it’s encouraging to see Wisconsin keeping up with the other top programs in this regard.