Pac-12 finances: Legacy schools relied on massive levels of campus support in FY2024 to navigate settlement terms, rising expenses

Later this month the Pac- will reveal the state of its finances prior to implosion with the release of federal tax filings for the fiscal year But initial clarity has emerged courtesy of the revenue-and-expense reports submitted by the schools to the NCAA The picture has a deep red hue and the unmistakable outline of campus subsidies written in indelible ink Athletic departments at the constituents universities broadcasted a combined million shortfall with billion in revenue against billion in expenses Washington led all schools in both revenue million and expenses million while Washington State booked the lowest totals in both categories million and million respectively Figures for the two private universities Stanford and USC were not informed But in that fraught final year with schools preparing to join other leagues and Washington State and Oregon State fighting for survival all but one athletic department relied heavily on school patronage That endorsement typically takes two forms direct transfers from central campus and trainee fees that are allocated to athletics In each matter the aid is booked as revenue in accordance with the NCAA s financial reporting rules In all the masses schools provided athletic departments with million in backing as Arizona State Cal and UCLA accounted for more than half the total Details below Oregon is the only school that did not book any aspirant fees or direct transfers as revenue and the Ducks managed to analysis an operating surplus of million When the campus backing is removed from the revenue total to create a more accurate picture of each department s organic operations that million shortfall morphs into a million crater the largest combined shortfall for the citizens schools excluding campus aid since the Hotline began tracking Pac- finances in the early s The reasons vary But clearly the demise of the conference played a critical role on several fronts The departing schools had million withheld from the conference based on the terms of the negotiated settlement with WSU and OSU Conference distributions were also lower as a product of the Comcast overpayment fiasco that was discovered in To recoup what it was owed the company withheld million over the and fiscal years Multiple of the former Pac- schools increased their budgets to either build the infrastructure needed for their new conference s media platforms e g the Big Ten Organization or to increase tools for their sports programs to meet competitive benchmarks in the Big Ten Big and ACC The subsidization of athletic departments by central campus is not universally condemned within the college sports space The process is considered an outlay in brand-building for scarce facets of campus receive as much media exposure nationwide as the sports teams That mentioned there are limits to the promotion offered to athletics limits that vary by the campus Here s a look at the key numbers and notable nuggets for each Pac- legacy school in the - fiscal year based on information disclosed in the NCAA financial reports Arizona booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a shortfall of million The revenue total includes million in participant fees and direct campus transfers That figure tracks with the prior year s amount Remove the campus encouragement and Arizona s operating shortfall climbs to million a key amount yes but less than the FY total million which included a million loan to athletics Arizona State booked million in revenue against million in expenses The revenue total includes million in campus encouragement of which approximately percent came from aspirant fees and the rest from direct transfers ASU restructured in FY embedding the athletic department into the university However the bottom line is effectively unchanged from the prior year when athletics established a million shortfall when campus endorsement was removed from the calculation Cal booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a shortfall of million The revenue total includes million in campus help In the three post-COVID fiscal years the Bears have received million in apprentice fees and direct transfers from campus The first of at least three million Calimony payments by UCLA as directed by the UC regents will be reflected in Cal s financial analysis for FY Colorado booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a surplus of million The revenue total includes million in campus advocacy Football ticket revenue for the season the first under coach Deion Sanders was million compared to million during the prior year Football revenue overall increased million year-over-year despite a million drop in conference-related revenue that CU allocated to the football undertaking Oregon booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a surplus of million In keeping with past practice in Eugene no participant fees or direct transfers from campus were used The football operation generated a million profit while men s basketball was in the black by million The Ducks Olympic sports including women s basketball combined for a million shortfall Those numbers reflect the state of affairs for schools across the country and lend context to the role football and basketball play in supporting all other sports Oregon State booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a surplus of million The revenue total includes million in campus aid The Beavers recorded million in conference distributions unrelated to media rights or the postseason reflecting a portion of the cash secured in the settlement agreement with the departed schools Washington State announced a similar amount OSU s spending on football was essentially flat year-over-year Related Articles Trump s planned commission on college sports Will it save the NCAA or just add to the chaos Pac- Mountain West agree to mediation over poaching penalty exit fees College football Top rankings Clemson is No then Penn State Texas CFB recap Bill Belichick the CBS fiasco and bread crumbs to realignment Mailbag Big Ten SEC and the next FBS realignment wave UCLA booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a shortfall of million The revenue total includes million in campus aid as the university for the first time provided direct cash transfers to athletics Remove campus help and the Bruins shortfall soars to million an unprecedented figure for Pac- athletic departments in non-COVID years In advance of its inaugural season in the Big Ten UCLA s expenses jumped by million The school offered the following comment upon release of its financial information UCLA is proud of our student-athletes and our stake recognizes the connection our programs create in bringing together the global Bruin family Utah booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a shortfall of million The revenue includes million in campus advocacy The Utes recorded a negative number for conference distributions unrelated to media rights or the football postseason - million to reflect the money withheld by the conference as part of the negotiated settlement They included an addendum to the financial assessment as well Largest part of the deficit can be traced to the breakup of the Pac- Conference and significantly reduced distributions due to the negotiated exit agreement legal fees overpayment of prior year television distributions i e Comcast Washington booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a shortfall of million The revenue total includes million in campus promotion The run to the College Football Playoff in the fall of resulted in ticket revenue of million a year-over-year increase of million The Huskies also broadcasted an million uptick in other operating revenue that the university declared could be traced to coaching contract buyouts paid to UW by other schools Hello Alabama Washington State booked million in revenue against million in expenses for a surplus of The revenue total includes million in campus advocacy The Cougars were the only Pac- legacy school to spend less in FY than the previous year with the football plan s operating budget dropping percent from million to million Of note The Cougars spent million less on football than Oregon State did during the first year of the transition phase to the new Pac- Details on the conference distributions from FY and relevant comparisons to schools in the ACC Big Big Ten and SEC will be available later this month when the Pac- discloses its financial material Send suggestions comments and tips confidentiality guaranteed to wilnerhotline bayareanewsgroup com or call - 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