The Big Ten Conference announced a record $1.37 billion distribution to its 18 member institutions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, marking the largest payout in league history as college athletics continues its financial surge. The conference said Friday the total represents a $490 million increase from the $883 million distributed in the previous fiscal year.
The Big Ten Officials attributed the jump to the first full year of the Big Ten’s new media rights agreements, continued revenue growth from College Football Playoff expansion and the conference’s first season as an 18-team league following the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
“The distributions provide meaningful support to institutions in their continued effort to provide broad-based athletic opportunities to more than 14,000 Big Ten student-athletes,” the conference said in a release.
On average, the Big Ten distributed about $76.1 million per school, though individual totals varied based on postseason performance and other revenue factors. Sixteen full-share members received different amounts based on postseason participation and other revenue factors.
Ohio State led all schools with $91.57 million after winning the College Football Playoff title during the 2024 season, while Penn State received $88.92 million after its postseason run. Other fully vested members generally received between roughly $76 million and $80 million. Oregon and Washington, still on partial revenue shares through 2030, received $48.4 million and $46.7 million, respectively, according to conference figures.
The Big Ten’s financial growth continues to outpace other Power Four conferences. In February, the SEC reported distributing more than $1.03 billion to its 16 members for fiscal year 2024-25, averaging $72.4 million per school.
Below is a look at recent reported conference revenue and distributions:
Average revenue distribution per school by fiscal year
Big Ten
$63.2 million*
$76.1 million
SEC
$52.6 million
$72.4 million
* Approximate to 12 long-standing members
The Big Ten’s rise reflects broader changes across college athletics, driven by escalating media rights deals and expanded postseason formats that have reshaped revenue streams nationwide. The conference is now in the first full year of its current television agreement, which generates more than $1 billion annually, according to the league.
The league also pointed to continued competitive success across sports, including recent national championships in football and men’s basketball as well as multiple NCAA titles across its member schools during the current academic cycle.
As discussions around further playoff expansion and ongoing conference realignment continue, the Big Ten’s latest financial report underscores the accelerating economic scale of college sports.
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