December 22nd, 2011 at 6:05 PM ^
1. Texas ($129 million)
2. Notre Dame ($112 million)
3. Penn State ($100 million)
4. LSU ($96 million)
5. Michigan ($94 million)
6. Alabama ($93 million)
7. Georgia ($90 million)
8. Arkansas ($89 million)
9. Auburn ($88 million)
10. Oklahoma ($87 million)
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:11 PM ^
Pretty sure that Penn State is dropping like congressional approval ratings right about now...
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^
think congressional approval ratings could drop anymore.
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:52 AM ^
for lil bro to hate us. It just keeps getting better and better for us. One day lil bro will accept his lot in life.
December 23rd, 2011 at 10:16 AM ^
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
Wow, Penn State surprises me. I have no idea how these values are calculated. Is this how much money each department makes in a year? Surely they can't really say that the facilities and brands of these schools are worth less than the facilities cost to build.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:15 PM ^
Why is everyone surprised by PSU? They have a huge stadium that they constantly fill, they have a huge state full of spirited fans and they have one of the largest schools in the Big Ten who, like Michigan students, sport their school colors like crazy. I would have guessed that we'd be higher, but I'm not that surprised that we aren't.
PSU also is notorious for underpaying their coaching staff. This will likely change starting next year, but I'm sure it factored into this. I remember seeing on this board a handful of months ago that PSU had one of the most profitable athletic departments in the country, a big part of which is football, I'm sure.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:41 PM ^
I'm surprised. After living in socal for many years (back in A2 now) and traveling all over the 48 states for work during the 90's and most of the 2000's, I can tell you Michigan is a much more national brand than PSU. Maybe PSU holds more of a monopoly in PA than we do here in MI (thanks to MSU or ND in the SW part of the state.) Also PA is a more populous state isn't it? That's all I can figure...
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:45 PM ^
A couple things:
Nationally, you're probably right. Michigan is a major national brand. However, you're correct in that PA is a more populous state than Michigan, and MSU probably draws a larger market share in-state than PSU's biggest competition: Pitt. Also, Penn State is big on the East Coast. If you live in NY or DC instead of SoCal, you probably would have had a different impression. The East Coast doesn't have much for college football, and a lot of them are PSU fans.
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:17 PM ^
I was born and raised in NYC. I'd say your statement has some truth, but I wouldn't say that Penn State is more popular or draws more support from people in NY Metro.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:49 PM ^
I'm surprised. After living in socal for many years (back in A2 now) and traveling all over the 48 states for work during the 90's and most of the 2000's, I can tell you Michigan is a much more national brand than PSU. Maybe PSU holds more of a monopoly in PA than we do here in MI (thanks to MSU or ND in the SW part of the state.) Also PA is a more populous state isn't it? That's all I can figure...
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:05 PM ^
Penn State's attendance doesn't even break 100k for smaller games, and I don't know of another sport outside of football that they're even worth mentioning for. I guess I'm surprised because they don't seem relevant aside from football, and even in that respect, they don't get much attention outside of the Midwest.
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:23 PM ^
This list is just about football though, so the other sports don't matter.
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:33 PM ^
Penn State is a power in women's volleyball.
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:36 PM ^
Pretty good Volleyball team (womens)!?
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:38 PM ^
they are a national power in women's volleyball
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:21 PM ^
...women's volleyball just had a streak of four straight national championships. Men's volleyball reached 10 straight final fours.
In the 22 years fencing has been an NCAA sport they've won 12 NCs, finshed second 8 times, third and fourth once each.
Men's gymnastics has the most NCs of any school.
Women's soccer has won 12 straight B1G titles.
Women's rugby is a national power at club level.
I know this isn't relevant to the OP, but the notion that they aren't worth mentioning in any sport other than football seems a bit off.
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:43 PM ^
Forgive me for not following women's sports or gymnastics. Fencing is cool so I have no excuse for that one.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
I have a feeling that #3 is going to slide in the rankings...
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
Well I value it more than anything so, blow me list.
I honestly don't know what the hell I would be doing or where I'd be if it wasn't for Michigan athletics.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:08 PM ^
I'm honestly realy surprised not to see Ohio on this list.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:10 PM ^
You can only get so much from sales of Skoal-stained hoodies and poop-encrusted coolers...
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:11 PM ^
I'm actually also suprised not to see them on the list. I hate them to dear heaven, but they do know how to work their athletic programs.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:21 PM ^
This list does not include dirty money, so it makes sense.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:22 PM ^
Forbes calculated this. OSU's athletic department donated something like $30 million to the university's general fund last year, along with about $9 million to the library renovation. I doubt they made that much from the fencing or women's lacrosse teams.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:09 PM ^
years. I think Brandon is more focused on the money making aspect than previous ADs. Notice how that's a statement without any inflection. Please, no Dave Brandon flamewars tonight.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:14 PM ^
Look, I hate the buckeyes, but any list that has them behind the likes of Penn State, Arkansas or even Oklahoma is a joke.
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:21 PM ^
where's msu?
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:25 PM ^
No time to be on lists, they're out recruiting in New Mexico or Utah or something!
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:31 PM ^
We have a recruit (Houma) coming from Utah this year, smart guy.
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:45 PM ^
Ya, well, MSU didn't want anything to do with him. Sione doesn't have the requisite felony on his record.
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
They're #1 on the list of Prison Co-ops.
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^
I heard Moo U is busy playing the guards
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:24 PM ^
For those of you asking about why the Buckeyes aren't on the list, it's simple: They aren't as profitable as the teams that are. They're close, but the Buckeye's had a profit in 2010 of 26 million. This is much less than everyone else in the top 10. At 47 million, we nearly doubled that. PSU did, at 53 million.
In revenue alone, OSU is behind everyone in the top 10 save Oklahoma (by 2 million) and is tied with Arkansas. We had a total revenue of 70 million, 9 million ahead of OSU. Texas had a revenue of 96 million and a profit of 71 million, both tops by a longshot.
link: http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2011/college-football-11_rank.html
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
I don't understand how earnings of 47 million gets you to a valuation of 94 million. In M&A activity, businesses typically go at six to ten times earnings. Shouldn't these teams be worth significantly more?
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:34 PM ^
The linked article says it's just a ranking of Football programs, and not athletic departments. Wonder what total sports revenue rankings would be.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:34 PM ^
Dave Brandon's got some work to do...
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:44 PM ^
OSU is on the list at number 13. Go to the Forbes website to see the entire list. Surprisingly, OSU's profit was only 26 million, compared to about 50 million for us. Cars and tats are expensive and let's not forget about the emergency funds used for Pryor's car repair. We would be higher if we sold out to advertisers like other schools ranked above us.
I also love the widespread (assuming national) hate for OSUs fanbase indicated by the comments posted below the ranking. People anticipate Buckeye fans going crazy over not being in the top 10. My favorite is the one saying if an OSU education provided for better job prospects then they could raise ticket prices...
http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2011/college-football-11_rank.html
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:45 PM ^
for the ranking of the value of the program.
OSU is obv spending too much money on tats, ho's, weed, unregistered cars, $3k monthly rent condos (like where Pryor was ACTUALLY living instead of his stated address) to have a high profit margin.
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:15 AM ^
that their "elite" program is so far down the list.
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:37 PM ^
If we advertised inside the stadium we'd have millions more in sponsorship deals. I'm glad we're not higher.
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:31 PM ^
Notre Dame also. I'd imagine they'd give Texas a run for their money if they plastered their stadium with ads like everyone else, save Michigan, does.
December 22nd, 2011 at 7:40 PM ^
The two things limiting ND are the small stadium and the small student body. ND has a huge fanbase, no doubt, but there is a difference between fans and students/alumni in terms of apparel purchasing and donations. Even ND's grad schools are small, so they graduate far fewer students every year than schools like Michigan and Texas do.
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:11 PM ^
Regarding PSU, I know more than a handful of alums who aren't giving anything to the university until they clean house. We'll have to wait and see how widespread that sentiment is and it affects the bottom line and future "lists".
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
The worth of an entity is in large part based on a projection of its future earnings. Penn State's future earnings just tanked.
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:12 PM ^
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:36 PM ^
Michigan would be higher if we sold advertising and naming rights. But we have standards.
And we're still in the top 5 anyway!
December 23rd, 2011 at 12:28 AM ^
This list makes me think of that whole Texas and ND to the Big 10 rumor a while back.
How sweet it would have been if that rumor had any substance.