Arkansas 9th in SEC athletics revenue in fiscal year 2022

The University of Alabama athletics department was the Southeastern Conference revenue king in fiscal year 2022.

The Crimson Tide’s revenue of $214.36 million in the 12 months from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, ranked first among the league’s 13 public universities. $130.9 million of Alabama’s revenue, or 61%, came from the school’s football program.

The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal compiled the data through public records requests. The research does not include private schools that are not subject to public records laws. Vanderbilt University, a private school, is the only SEC school not included.

In the SEC, the University of Georgia ($203.04 million) also topped $200 million in FY 2022. Louisiana State University ($199.3 million), Texas A&M University ($193.13 million) and the University of Florida ($190.41 million) rounded out the top five, followed by Auburn University ($174.56 million), the University of Kentucky ($159 million) and the University of Tennessee ($154.56 million).

The University of Arkansas ranked No. 9 among SEC schools with $152.51 million in revenue in FY 2022. $83.6 million of that total, or 55%, came from the Razorback football program. Department-wide contributions totaled $21.4 million, with ticket sales surpassing $48 million.

The UA reported $144.31 million in athletic department expenses for an operating surplus of $8.2 million.

Following Arkansas are the University of South Carolina ($142.21 million), the University of Missouri ($141.15 million), the University of Mississippi ($133.55 million) and Mississippi State University ($110.65 million).

Arkansas’ FY 22 revenue is the first time the athletics department has topped $150 million. Arkansas’ athletics department funds 470 athletes competing on 19 teams — eight for men and 11 for women. It takes no student fees or taxpayer support.

Every SEC athletics department except LSU, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Mississippi operated at a surplus for the 2022 fiscal year.

The University of Texas, which will leave the Big 12 Conference to join the SEC on July 1, 2024, finished FY22 with a surplus of $14.13 million on $239.3 million in athletics revenue and $225.15 million in expenses. Department-wide contributions totaled $74.91 million, with ticket sales surpassing $57 million.

The University of Oklahoma will also join the SEC next year. OU finished FY22 with a $1.3 million surplus, bringing in $177.3 million in revenue against $175.99 million in expenses. Ticket sales accounted for $47 million in revenue, while contributions totaled $37.1 million.