Forbes Ranks The 20 Most Valuable College Football Programs
12 years ago

Forbes has come out with a list of this year’s twenty most valuable college football programs, and like a BCS ranking, there are expected names, a few surprises, and A LOT of SEC. Unlike a BCS ranking, Notre Dame actually deserves to be as high as they are.

1. Texas Longhorns
Current Value: $133 million
One-Year Change in Value: 3%
Football Revenue: $104 million
Football Profit: $78 million
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Mack Brown

2. Michigan Wolverines
Current Value: $120 million
One-Year Change in Value: 28%
Football Revenue: $85 million
Football Profit: $62 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Brady Hoke

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Current Value: $103 million
One-Year Change in Value: -8%
Football Revenue: $69 million
Football Profit: $43 million
Conference: Independent
Head Coach: Brian Kelly

4. LSU Tigers
Current Value: $102 million
One-Year Change in Value: 6%
Football Revenue: $69 million
Football Profit: $45 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Les Miles

5. Georgia Bulldogs
Current Value: $99 million
One-Year Change in Value: 10%
Football Revenue: $75 million
Football Profit: $52 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Mark Richt

6. Alabama Crimson Tide
Current Value: $95 million
One-Year Change in Value: 3%
Football Revenue: $82 million
Football Profit: $45 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Nick Saban

7. Florida Gators
Current Value: $93 million
One-Year Change in Value: 9%
Football Revenue: $74 million
Football Profit: $51 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Will Muschamp

8. Auburn Tigers
Current Value: $85 million
One-Year Change in Value: -4%
Football Revenue: $77 million
Football Profit: $44 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Gus Malzahn

9. Tennessee Volunteers
Current Value: $84 million
One-Year Change in Value: 2%
Football Revenue: $55 million
Football Profit: $35 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Butch Jones

10. Arkansas Razorbacks
Current Value: $83 million
One-Year Change in Value: -7%
Football Revenue: $64 million
Football Profit: $40 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Bret Bielema

11. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Current Value: $82 million
One-Year Change in Value: 6%
Football Revenue: $55 million
Football Profit: $36 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Bo Pelini

12. Oklahoma Sooners
Current Value: $80 million
One-Year Change in Value: -8%
Football Revenue: $60 million
Football Profit: $36 million
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Bob Stoops

13. Penn State Nittany Lions
Current Value: $79 million
One-Year Change in Value: -21%
Football Revenue: $66 million
Football Profit: $36 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Bill O’Brien

14. Wisconsin Badgers
Current Value: $76 million
One-Year Change in Value: 13%
Football Revenue: $48 million
Football Profit: $24 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Gary Andersen

15. Oregon Ducks
Current Value: $74 million
One-Year Change in Value: N/A*
Football Revenue: $52 million
Football Profit: $32 million
Conference: Pac-12
Head Coach: Chip Kelly

16. USC Trojans
Current Value: $68 million
One-Year Change in Value: 10%
Football Revenue: $52 million
Football Profit: $29 million
Conference: Pac-12
Head Coach: Lane Kiffin

17. South Carolina Gamecocks
Current Value: $67 million
One-Year Change in Value: 5%
Football Revenue: $48 million
Football Profit: $26 million
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Steve Spurrier

18. Washington Huskies
Current Value: $65 million
One-Year Change in Value: N/A*
Football Revenue: $53 million
Football Profit: $28 million
Conference: Pac-12
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian

19. Michigan State Spartans
Current Value: $64 million
One-Year Change in Value: 8%
Football Revenue: $50 million
Football Profit: $31 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio

20. Ohio State Buckeyes
Current Value: $63 million
One-Year Change in Value: -20%
Football Revenue: $58 million
Football Profit: $24 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Urban Meyer

It’s surprising to see USC and Ohio State ranked that low, and although Ohio State’s drop in value due to their postseason ban and program sanctions explains the 20% decrease in value, that makes Penn State’s ranking even more surprising considering their way, WAY worse sanctions and scandal. As far as USC’s low ranking is concerned, I’ll just blame Lane Kiffin, because fuck it, it probably is his fault.

The University of Washington’s inclusion on the list is also surprising when you consider that schools like Texas A&M, Florida State, and Clemson didn’t make the cut, and that Washington’s football program competes directly with the professional sports market in Seattle.

Oregon is a surprise too, only insomuch as Nike is not pouring as much money into that program as we all thought, apparently.

Surprised by anything else? Enraged? Aroused!?!?!

Discuss.

[Source]

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    9. Longshanks_Son_TF

      It lists Gary Anderson as the Wisconsin head coach, so it can’t be that old.

      12 years ago at 2:47 pm
  3. smokey_banger

    Notre Dame deserves to be #1, what other school has every single game broadcast nationally?

    12 years ago at 3:07 pm
    3. Dillon Cheverere

      “Deserves” to be #1? This is about the bottom line. It’s not an opinion piece.

      12 years ago at 4:12 pm
    5. Alphonse Stilldrunk

      The #1 team in the country always has their games broadcasted nationally. Sounds like it might be time for you to upgrade to basic cable.

      12 years ago at 8:40 pm
    6. TomFratMoore

      regardless of Notre Dame’s rank, ALL their games are televised nationally. they have a deal with NBC.

      12 years ago at 10:16 pm
  4. Born Wearing Sperrys

    Damn I am jealous of that Texas revenue. Is there any place you can get a breakdown of where the revenue streams?

    12 years ago at 3:07 pm
    1. The3WiseMen

      Fairly certain only 6 programs make enough money to cover their losses from other sports, but there’s a pretty good chance that’s where the Longhorns blow their money.

      12 years ago at 3:58 pm
    3. Cockmeatsandwich

      The longhorns have their own TV network plus the Big 12 gives them a bigger piece of the conference profit sharing so they don’t leave for the SEC

      12 years ago at 4:15 am

  5. The ranks are weighted, in part, by the (1) team’s value to its university (“football profit contributed to academic programming, including athletic scholarships”, Forbes), and (2) value to the rest of the athletic department.

    So it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of SEC teams, because their basketball sucks and doesn’t create as much revenue (point 2) and more importantly (point 1) their endowments are lower (as well as their intellectual capacities and commitment to higher education in general, BOOM. Kidding, guys).

    12 years ago at 3:08 pm
    1. Jon M Fratsman

      By those measures, I’m surprised Tennessee isn’t listed higher than it is. The only sports that will ever be big here are football and possibly women’s basketball (you can thank Coach Summit for that). There are very few schools who require their ADs to fork over upwards of $6 million a year to the academic side.

      12 years ago at 5:16 pm
    6. NWfrattin

      Hey sunshine “So it’s no surprise because there’s a lot of SEC teams, because their basketball sucks”. Did an SEC team bring home the last win of the season last year for basketball?

      Truly yours,
      A Pac-12 student

      12 years ago at 3:19 am
    7. Jon M Fratsman

      ^ Yeah, but Kentucky is a diamond in a pile of turds. There are Sun Belt schools out there that are 2-1 against the SEC in basketball right now.

      12 years ago at 2:25 pm
  6. crazysig89

    With the season ND had this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are number one for 2013.

    12 years ago at 3:12 pm
  7. DawgTown

    UW doesn’t surprise me to much. Finishing up a brand new stadium offering suites that cost 60,000 a year. Lots of rich alumni from there too.

    12 years ago at 3:19 pm
    3. WWWD

      ^ since when is winning at everything and having a coach that fucks Erin Andrews NF?

      12 years ago at 2:13 am
    5. NWfrattin

      Tradition has to start somewhere, what was bama before Bear Bryant? Auburn and Swanee’s bitch? Let’s hope these last couple years start some tradition

      12 years ago at 3:22 am
    7. Painted Red

      Sutter, I can assure you none of the children in that picture you took your sweet time to look for are in a frat. Just like you have geeds at your school unfortunately, Oregon has geeds at theirs too

      12 years ago at 11:37 am
  9. BROnonia_Docet

    Surprised Oklahoma State didn’t make it in with all the money T. Boone has put into their program.

    12 years ago at 3:50 pm
    3. DawgTown

      Easy to kill someone when you have 20 more commits than them. That being said, still Ricky Seals-Jones and Derrick Griffin will be a force for years to come.

      12 years ago at 2:48 am
  11. Davy Frockett 13

    Time to open the discussion on whether college athletes should be legally paid or not

    12 years ago at 4:33 pm
    5. Fraternity Lifestyle

      They definitely are getting a free education. Many of the athletes that do not graduate college would not have gotten into the university in the first place if not for their skills in football, basketball, baseball, etc. With the HUGE amount of resources available to them beyond that which is afforded to a non-student athlete, there should be no reason for them not to be graduating. They are being given around $30K a year, just not in hard cash.

      12 years ago at 1:11 pm