LSU athletics generated an estimated $133.7 million during the 2013-14 school year, a total that placed the school sixth in the nation among all university athletics programs and second in the SEC to Alabama, which produced revenue of $153.2 million and was fourth overall.
The figures, released by USA Today, show Oregon was the top earner in college athletics over the year, with revenue of $196 million. Behind the Ducks at No. 2 was Texas, with revenue of $161 million, and Michigan, at $157.9 million. Behind Alabama at No. 5 was Ohio State, at $145.2 million.
LSU athletics revenue last school year grew by 13.8% from revenue in the 2012-13 school year, the data show, while athletics expenses—at roughly $123 million—climbed 16.7% over the same period.
The data also show the LSU athletics program is just one of seven in the nation—as well as the only one in Louisiana or the SEC—that is not subsidized with state dollars. The others are Purdue, Nebraska, Penn State, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Texas. All of the 223 other athletics programs included in the USA Today data set received some level of subsidies to boost revenue.
Unlike at most schools, the athletics program at LSU annually contributes to academics. In 2012 the LSU Board of Supervisors signed off on a five-year plan to transfer $7.2 million annually from athletics to academics. The board has pledged to transfer at least $36 million from athletics in the first five years of the agreement.
For some historical perspective on how much LSU athletics revenue has grown over the past decade, the university’s sports programs generated just $60.9 million in 2004-2005—about 54% less than it did during the 2013-14 school year. Expenses in 2004-05 were $55.9 million.
See the complete ranking of NCAA athletics program revenues, and also check out a listing of college football’s top-paid coaches, on which LSU’s Les Miles is No. 7 with earnings of $4,369,582 and a potential annual bonus of $700,000.
As recently reported by Daily Report, LSU football’s 13 games last season drew a total of 1,195,540 fans—third best among all college teams, trailing just Ohio State (approximately 1.3 million in attendance) and Alabama (1.27 million). LSU ranked No. 4 among all college football teams last season for average home attendance, at an average of 101,723 over seven home games.
—Steve Sanoski
