FAYETTEVILLE — The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday it would distribute a record $777.8 million in total revenue to the 14 league universities for the 2020-21 fiscal year that ended on Aug. 31, 2021, an increase of more than $9 million per school from the previous year.
The total included $764.4 million distributed directly from the conference office and another $13.4 million retained by schools that participated in football bowl games in 2020-21 to offset travel and other bowl expenses.
The distributed revenues totaled slightly more than $54.6 million per school, an increase over the $657.7 million distributed in 2019-20 that amounted to $45.5 million per school, not including bowl money retained by participants that fiscal year.
“The commitment of the SEC’s 14 universities to provide an impactful and lasting student-athlete experience is enhanced exponentially by the substantial revenue distributed through the Southeastern Conference,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a release from the conference. “As a direct result of this distribution, SEC universities provide their student-athletes exceptional instruction, training, equipment, academic counseling, medical care, mental health and wellness support and life-skill development that is unmatched in intercollegiate athletics.”
The distributed revenues did not include a one-time supplement of approximately $23 million per school, which the SEC passed out to help mitigate the financial impact of covid-19 on the athletic programs, nor did it include an additional $7.8 million of NCAA and SEC grants divided among the institutions.
The distribution amount is comprised of revenue generated from television agreements, postseason bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC Football Championship Game, the SEC men’s basketball tournament, NCAA championships and a supplemental surplus distribution.