To a successful sports program
Reported that in 2015-16 Alabama athletics generated $164 million in revenue. $103.9 million of this was derived from Alabama football. You can read the full story to see all revenue sources and expenses.
Alabama football revenues exceeded expenses by more than $47 million. Alabama football generated more revenue than the total operating budgets for all FBS schools.
The top twenty FBS schools that have operating budgets exceeding $100 million receive a lot of attention. It is often overlooked how important athletic programs are for smaller schools with smaller budgets.
Temple University employed outside consultants in 2016 to determine the dollar value of Temple football’s media exposure during its 20-8 football season.
These are the results presented by Dr. Jeremy Jordan, Temple University Sports Industry Research Center director.
Jordan elaborated on the impact that Temple’s exposure of $38 million had on its brand.
“Temple University is a name. It’s a way for the university to communicate its mission and values when the football team is on TV. It was much more than a couple of games. That was what it meant for national media coverage about Temple, its alabama football program, and Philadelphia.
Gonzaga University is another example of a small school that has experienced success in athletics and gained exposure. Gonzaga University, a Spokane school that was the first to offer men’s basketball has grown into a national power. During the 1999 NCAA Tournament, the Zags made waves on the national stage.
Here are the real effects of Gonzaga between 1999 and 2017, according to data from the university’s PR office
- The enrollment has increased from 4,061 and 7,572 (an 8.4% increase)
- Applications for undergraduate degrees have quadrupled, from 1,841 up to 7,342
- The number of freshmen has risen from 569 to 1,280 (144.9%)
- The faculty roster has increased from 279 to 434 (55.5%)
- The total university budget has almost quadrupled from $72.7 Million to $283 Million
- The endowment has increased from $67 million up to $212.9 (217.8%)
- Annual fundraising has increased from $13.4 Million to $31.1 Million (127.7%)
- The total number of donors has increased from 7,006 a 13,261 (a modest growth rate of 89.3%)
Without Gonzaga’s basketball success, all the above categories could have grown. It is possible to argue that the Zags’ growth exceeds national averages, and this is in large part due to brand enhancement via basketball or Alabama football.
Many schools don’t experience the same exposure and revenue increases through athletics. Many schools do experience similar exposure and revenue boosts through athletics, including dozens of smaller schools that have similar enrollments as Temple and Gonzaga.