FAYETTEVILLE — The Southeastern Conference increased its average payout to member schools by 1.4 percent in fiscal year 2017, according to figures released Thursday by the conference office.
The conference distributed $573.8 million last year, or an average in excess of $40.9 million per program. That is up from a year earlier when the league payout totaled $565.9 million, or an average in excess of $40.4 million per program.
An additional $23.1 million was distributed to programs that played in a 2016 bowl game to offset bowl trip expenses. That includes Arkansas, which lost to Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 29, 2016.
Including bowl reimbursements, the revenue shared with SEC teams in 2017 totaled $596.9 million, according to the league office.
In 2014-15, the league shared $475.8 million before bowl reimbursements. The SEC's fiscal year ends Aug. 31.
The funds are an accumulation of revenue generated from the SEC's TV agreements, bowl game affiliations, participation in the College Football Playoff, NCAA postseason tournaments, the SEC Football Championship Game and the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament.