About the Data

The following information can be found on this page:

Overview

All data in this database are drawn from public reports filed by NCAA Division I institutions. 

The athletic financial data are based on revenue and expense reports from more than 230 public schools in NCAA's Division I that have a legal obligation to release the data (the NCAA does not release the data publicly). Limited demographic information is included for more than 100 Division I institutions that did not share data and are private or are public institutions covered under a state exemption to open records laws. Beginning with the 2023 fiscal year, data were collected by the Knight Commission in partnership with Jodi Upton, Knight Chair in Data and Explanatory Journalism at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Between fiscal years 2016 and 2022, USA TODAY contributed to the data collection. Data prior to fiscal year 2016 were collected by Jodi Upton, then at USA TODAY Sports. Data are used with permission from USA TODAY.

Comparisons between institutions are possible, but some institutions interpret the NCAA financial reporting rules slightly differently despite efforts by the NCAA staff working with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) to standardize the definitions and reporting. For some institutions, significant changes in spending trends may represent a change in reporting rather than actual spending. NCAA legislation requires that the financial reports are subject to agreed-upon procedures conducted by a "qualified independent accountant who is not a staff member of the institution." Each institution's president or chancellor is required to certify the financial report before it is submitted to the NCAA. 

Institutions that reported $0 or missing data to the NCAA are excluded from growth rate calculations for individual institutions, conferences, and subdivisions. They are also eliminated from peer-group growth calculations in the Custom Reporting feature. 

The number of total athletes participating in varsity athletics was obtained from Equity in Athletics Data (EADA) filed with the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education. Financial data from Equity in Athletics reports are not used in this database because more complete financial data are reported in the NCAA financial reports. 

Academic spending data in this database use Education & General spending data for each institution in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is constructed from publicly available data that institutions are required to report to the U.S. Department of Education through IPEDS surveys. For a more detailed description of academic spending, see the definition of academic spending below. 

The categories used to explain Where the Money Comes From (revenues) and Where the Money Goes (expenses) were identified by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Many categories include multiple line items from the NCAA Financial Reports. Definitions for all line items are provided below. The line identification number from the NCAA Financial Report is listed with the category definition below to verify the category from which the data is drawn. 

The spending database is organized by Division I subdivision due to the differing levels of financial commitment required to participate in each subdivision. 

The default screen for all financial data reflects current dollars. Inflationary adjustments can be made by checking the "adjust for cost inflation" box in the user view tool at the top of each display or by using the custom reporting tool.

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Data Definitions and Methodology

Definitions are shown in italics and methodology or other special notes are explained below the definition. 

ACADEMIC SPENDING:

Definition: Total expenditures for the direct role and mission activities of an institution. It includes functional classifications of expenditures for instruction, research, public service, academic support, student services, institutional support, operations and maintenance, and scholarships and fellowships. 

Explanation: Academic spending refers to expenditures in support of an institution's mission. The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) defines this spending as Education & General (E&G) spending. E&G spending includes spending on instruction, research, public service, academic support, student services, institutional support, operations and maintenance, and scholarships and fellowships. E&G spending excludes auxiliaries and independent operations. This information is reported each year by each institution to the U.S. Department of Education in its IPEDS database. The survey form used to collect IPEDS financial data changed during the period covered by the database, specifically, with respect to the treatment of operation and maintenance and interest expenditures. Under FASB standards and on the Aligned Form (optional for GASB-reporting institutions in FY2008 and FY2009, and required in FY2010), operation and maintenance expenditures were allocated across functions (e.g., such as instruction, research, public service, academic support), but remain a distinct expense category under GASB reporting prior to FY2010. Starting with FY2016, FASB- and GASB-reporting schools no longer report functional expenses by natural classification. Calculations for E&G have been adjusted to account for reporting differences and facilitate comparisons over time. 

Until 2012-2013, the NCAA did not require member institutions to report E&G data on its NCAA Financial Report forms. The E&G data reported to the NCAA may differ from the amounts in this database, which is pulled from data the institutions reported to IPEDS. The difference may be due to NCAA definitional differences with the official definition used in the IPEDS database (mentioned above). To be consistent over time, this database uses the commonly agreed-upon NACUBO definition to collect and report the data. (Data from IPEDS/methodology from American Institutes for Research and NACUBO). 

In IPEDS, Pennsylvania State University provided allocation factors for distributing finance data from Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus among all campuses until the data cycle for the 2020 academic year when they began reporting as a single entity, reverting to the previous method in 2022. To maintain consistency, estimated allocation factors were applied for 2020 and 2021. 

ACADEMIC AND GRADUATION AWARDS: 

Definition: Academic and Graduation Awards are cash awards provided to college athletes by the institution for meeting institutional and/or conference criteria for receiving such awards (e.g., maintaining academic eligibility, completing degree). The maximum annual award to an individual athlete is $5980. 

Given the grouping of these cash awards on the “Other Operating Expenses,” the specific amounts are not able to be captured for this database reporting. 

Explanation: Academic and Graduation Awards, commonly known as “Alston Awards,” were permitted beginning in Fiscal Year 2022. Many DI institutions began providing cash academic awards of up to $5,980 per athlete as a result of the June 2021 Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Alston, which allowed for such cash awards as part of its broader decision. 

NCAA Financial Report instructions as of Fiscal Year 2023 state: “Alston awards (expenses) are not considered Financial Aid and should not be counted as such. Those expenses stem from the awards, benefits, and expenses legislation (Bylaw 16), not the financial aid legislation (Bylaw 15). Entering the Alston expenses within the Other Operating Expenses category would be appropriate if the expenses are paid by athletics.” 

Pursuant to the NCAA reporting instructions, these awards are grouped in this database with “Other Expenses.” It is not possible to examine these expenses in isolation since the NCAA report does not permit institutions to disaggregate the awards in its institutional report. See OTHER EXPENSES. 

ATHLETIC CONFERENCE: 

Explanation: Athletic conferences listed on the profile pages show each institution’s NCAA athletic conference affiliation as of the most recent year in the dataset. Subdivision and athletic conference grouping are determined by each institution’s football affiliation. If an institution is not yet an FBS member for football but is affiliated with a FBS conference in other sports, that institution’s data would not be calculated with the FBS football conference until its football team is fully affiliated. Data from institutions that switched conferences during the database reporting period are included with the conference in which they participated during each relevant fiscal reporting year. For example, the institutional profile for the University of Nebraska at Lincoln shows it as a member of the Big Ten Conference but prior to the 2012 reporting year (academic year 2011-12), Nebraska was a member of the Big 12 Conference and its data would be considered in the conference median calculation for those fiscal years in which it was a member. 

ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP: 

Explanation: See athletic student aid

ATHLETIC STUDENT AID: 

Definition: Total expenses for athletic student aid, including tuition and fees, room and board, books, summer school, tuition discounts, waivers, and cost of attendance, including aid given to student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility or who are inactive due to medical reasons. 

Explanation: These data are reported on line 20 on the NCAA financial report form. “Board” in this definition refers to meal plans that are part of the institution’s regular pricing for student meal plans. The expenses for these meals are separate from meals reported in Team Travel Expenses and enhanced athlete meals that are reported as part of Athlete Nutrition and Enhanced Meals. (From NCAA financial reports). Beginning in Fiscal Year 2016, the NCAA allowed "other expenses related to attendance (also known as gap money or cost of attendance)." Increases in this category may reflect these additional allowed funds for athletes compared to previous years. 

ATHLETIC SPENDING:

Definition: Total athletic operating expenses. 

Explanation: Total athletic operating expenses reported on the NCAA financial report form All athletic spending data represent spending on intercollegiate athletics only; intramural and club sports are not included on institution's NCAA financial reports. (From NCAA financial reports). 

AUTONOMY Conferences (Power Five conferences, with change to power Four in FY2024-25): 

Definition: Conferences given autonomy by the NCAA in 2014 to create their own rules. Initially, those conferences were the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Big 12 Conference (Big 12), the Big Ten Conference (Big 10), the Pacific Athletic Conference (Pac-12), and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In June 2024, the Pac-12 lost its autonomy status following the departure of 10 member institutions. These conferences were commonly referenced as the “Power Five” and, starting in the 2024-25 fiscal year, the group moniker changed to the “Power Four.”

Explanation: Before the 2024-25 fiscal year, as reflected in the database, there were five autonomy conferences: the ACC, the Big 12, the Big Ten, the Pac-12, and the SEC. These conferences had legislative autonomy and guaranteed bowl berths to some of the prestigious football bowl games known as the New Year's Six (Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, etc.). Beginning FY2024-25, these conferences also receive 90% of all College Football Playoff revenues.

In the summer of 2024, 10 Pac-12 institutions officially left the conference to join other autonomy conferences. The University of California-Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, the University of Oregon, and the University of Washington joined the Big Ten. Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, the University of Colorado-Boulder, and the University of Utah joined the Big 12. The University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University both joined the ACC. These changes left Oregon State University and Washington State University as the only remaining Pac-12 schools, and the conference lost its designation as an autonomy conference.

The financial data represented in the Autonomy Five or the Power Five category includes the membership of the institutions in the appropriate fiscal years. For example, after FY2024, data for Oregon State University and Washington State University will not be represented in the Autonomy Five [or Autonomy Four] category. See also GROUP OF FIVE/GROUP OF SIX CONFERENCES

CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION:

Definition: The Carnegie Foundation’s classification system distinguishes institutions per their degree programs and institutional mission. 

Explanation: This database groups the Carnegie Classifications into four basic categories. Descriptions of each reflect the Carnegie Classification system definitions: 

  • Doctoral/Research Universities: Institutions that “awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees and had at least $5 million in total research expenditures” or “awarded at least 30 professional practice doctoral degrees in at least 2 programs.”. 
  • Master's Colleges and Universities: ”Institutions that awarded at least 50 master’s degrees and fewer than 20 doctoral degrees.”. 
  • Baccalaureate Colleges: ”Institutions where baccalaureate or higher degrees represent at least 50 percent of all degrees but where fewer than 50 master’s degrees or 20 doctoral degrees were awarded.”. 
  • Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges (Bac/Assoc): Four-year colleges, by virtue of having at least one baccalaureate degree program, that conferred more than 50 percent of degrees at the associate’s level (but excluding special focus institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and institutions that have sufficient master’s or doctoral degrees to fall into those categories). 

More information about the Carnegie Classification system can be found here. 

COACHES COMPENSATION: 

Definition: Coaches compensation includes bonuses and benefits, but not severance payments. The Coaches Compensation category includes direct payment and bonuses to coaches from the institution and from a third party. 

Explanation: Coaches compensation, bonuses and benefits paid to all “countable coaches” reportable on the university or related entities W-2 and 1099 forms including: Gross wages and bonuses, and benefits including allowances, speaking fees, retirement, stipends, memberships, media income, tuition reimbursement and earned deferred compensation, including those funded by the state. (Line 22). In addition, this category includes compensation, bonuses and benefits paid to all coaches by a third party and contractually guaranteed by the institution, but not included on the institution's W-2, such as: car stipend, country club membership, allowances for clothing, housing, and entertainment, speaking fees, camps compensation, media income, and shoe and apparel income. (Line 23). Beginning in the 2018 Fiscal Year and prior to the 2015 fiscal year, this category includes bonuses for football bowl appearances noted on a separate line item (Line 41A). Note: From 2015-2017 fiscal years, the NCAA reported coaching bonuses relating to participation in a post-season bowl game in a separate category (Line 41) with all post-season expenses, and bonuses were not included in this category because of the inability to disaggregate such bonuses. from other bowl game expenses. Severance payments for Coaches are not included in this category and instead are reported in the Severance category. See also SEVERANCE. 

COMPETITION GUARANTEES (REVENUE): 

Definition: Revenue received from participation in away or neutral-site games. 

Explanation: Revenue received from participation in away or neutral-site games. (Line 7). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

COMPETITION GUARANTEES (EXPENSES): 

Definition: Amounts paid to visiting participating institutions, including per diems and/or travel and meals. 

Explanation: Amounts paid to visiting participating institutions, including per diems and/or travel and meal expenses (Line 21). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

CONFERENCE/NCAA DISTRIBUTIONS, MEDIA RIGHTS, AND POST-SEASON FOOTBALL: 

Definition: Revenue received from athletic conferences, the NCAA, media rights, and post-season football (i.e., College Football Playoff, football bowl games). 

Explanation: This category groups revenue from the following categories: conference distributions, NCAA distributions, media rights,and CFP and football bowl revenues: 

  • Media Rights - Revenue received for radio, television, internet, digital and e-commerce rights, and the portion of conference distributions related to media rights, if applicable (Line 11). 
  • NCAA Distributions - Revenues received from all NCAA distributions, including NCAA championships reimbursements and payments received from the NCAA for hosting a championship (Line 12).
  • Conference Distributions - All revenues received by conference distribution, excluding portions of distribution relating to media rights (Line 13). Beginning in 2018-2019, the NCAA itemized conference distributions for football bowl games in a new category (Line 13A), included in this total. 
  • Bowl Revenues - All amounts received related to participation in a post-season football bowl game, including expense reimbursements and ticket sales (Line 19). Post-season football bowl revenues were collected by the NCAA as a separate line item beginning in 2015-2016. Prior to 2015-2016, post-season football bowl revenues were not reported on NCAA Financial Report Forms. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, ADVERTISING, LICENSING: 

Definition: Revenue generated by the institution from royalties, licensing, advertisements and sponsorships. 

Explanation: The category of corporate sponsorship, advertising, and licensing revenue includes funds received by the institution directly from: sponsorships, licensing agreements, advertisement, royalties, and in-kind products and services as part of sponsorship agreements. (Line 15). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

DIVISION I – NO FOOTBALL: 

Explanation: Also known as Division I-AAA, this group of institutions does not sponsor football. These institutions meet NCAA Division I membership requirements that are identical to Division I institutions classified in the Football Championships Subdivision: they must sponsor a minimum of 14 varsity sports teams and meet Division I financial aid requirements, unless granted a temporary waiver from such provisions by the NCAA. 

DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS:

Definition: Funds contributed from individuals, corporations, associations, foundations, clubs or other organizations external to the athletics program above the face value for tickets. 

Explanation: Donor contributions are funds provided in the reporting year from individuals, corporations, associations, foundations, clubs or other organizations and designated for the operations of the athletics program. This includes funds donated by outside contributors for the payment of debt service, lease payments or rental fee expenses for athletic facilities in the reporting year. All donor contributions are amounts received above face value for tickets, including cash and marketable securities but not pledges or contributions to be used in other reporting years. (Line 8). (From NCAA Financial Reports).

EADA: 

Explanation: EADA is the acronym used to describe the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filed with the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education. The data is available via a web-based database and consists of athletics data that are submitted annually as required by the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) by all co-educational postsecondary institutions that receive Title IV funding (i.e., those that participate in federal student aid programs) and that have an intercollegiate athletics program. See Data Sources for link. 

EXCESS TRANSFERS BACK: 

Definition: Positive net revenues generated by athletics and transferred to the institution for non-athletics purposes. These funds are in excess of the transfers subtracted from the institutional and governmental funds allocated to athletics. 

Explanation: The amount of total athletic transfers to the institution appears on two lines of the NCAA financial report form (Line 5, "Less Transfers to Institution," and Line 50, “Excess Transfers to Institution” from the “Other Reporting Items” section). To calculate “Excess Transfers to the Institution” in this database, these two amounts are subtracted from the sum total of Institutional/Government Support, Student Fees, Direct Institutional Support, and Indirect Institutional Support with the remainder allocated to athletics and the balance is reported as “excess transfers.” Transfers to the institutions were not collected on the NCAA financial report form until the 2011-12 fiscal year. The 2014-15 NCAA financial report changed the way it collects transfers and excess transfers to the institution. Transfers reported in prior fiscal years have been recalculated in this database to align with the current reporting and calculation standards. Note: The amount of “Excess Transfers to the Institution” reported on this database may differ from the institution’s report since this database includes state and government support as well as direct and indirect institutional support in the calculation of institutional funding for athletics, an amount from which the transfers are subtracted. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

FACILITIES, DEBT SERVICE, AND EQUIPMENT: 

Definition: Facility expenses include debt service, leases, and rental fees for athletic facilities. This includes overhead and administrative expenses. Equipment expenses include sports equipment, uniform, and supplies provided to teams, including in-kind equipment. 

Explanation: Facility and debt services expenses include debt service payments (principal and interest, including internal loan programs), leases and rental fees for athletics facilities for the reporting year regardless of entity paying (athletics, institution or other) (Line 34). This category also includes direct overhead and administrative expenses, and indirect institutional support. Direct overhead expenses are: administrative/overhead fees charged by the institution to athletics, facilities maintenance, security, risk management, utilities, equipment repair, telephone, and other administrative expenses (Line 35). Indirect institutional support includes overhead and administrative expenses not paid or charged directly to athletics including: administrative/overhead fees not charged by the institution to athletics, facilities maintenance, security, risk management, utilities, equipment repair, telephone, and other administrative expenses (Line 36). 

This category also includes team equipment expenses, such as sports equipment, uniform, and supplies. These items are provided only to teams, and amounts are those expended from current or operating funds. This includes the value of in-kind equipment. Depreciation of equipment is not included. (Line 29). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

FBS SPENDING QUARTILE: 

Explanation: Football Bowl Subdivision institutions are ranked by total athletic spending in each year of the database and divided into quartiles. Quartile 1 schools have the largest athletics expense budgets in each year and Quartile 4 schools have the smallest budgets. 

FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION (FBS): 

Explanation: Formerly known as Division I-A, this group must sponsor a minimum of 16 varsity sports teams, including football. The institutions must play at least 60 percent of their regular-season football games against other FBS institutions and meet home football attendance requirements. Additionally, FBS institutions must meet stricter requirements for financial aid distribution than the institutions that classify in the FCS or Division I without football. FBS football programs are eligible for the College Football Playoff (CFP), a national championship that operates independent of the NCAA. 

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION (FCS): 

Explanation: Formerly known as Division I-AA, these institutions must sponsor 14 varsity sports and meet Division I financial aid requirements. The football teams must play more than 50 percent of their regular-season football games against FBS or FCS institutions. FCS football programs are eligible for the NCAA FCS National Championship. 

FOOTBALL COACHING SALARIES: 

Definition: Total compensation reported for all football coaches, including salaries, benefits and bonuses paid by the university, and contractually-guaranteed amounts paid by third parties. [Note: The football coach compensation figures are from the NCAA reports, which uses a different methodology than the one used by USA TODAY in its annual survey.] 

Explanation: This calculation includes the following from the NCAA financial report for total coaching salaries. Line 22: "Includes compensation, bonus and benefits paid to all coaches reportable on the university or related entities W-2 and 1099 forms inclusive of gross wages, bonuses and benefits including allowances, speaking fees, retirement, stipends, memberships, media income, tuition reimbursement and earned deferred compensation." Line 23: "Includes all compensation, bonus and benefits paid to all coaches by a third party and contractually guaranteed by the institution, but not included on the institution’s W-2 including: car stipend, country club membership, allowances for clothing, housing and entertainment, speaking fees, camps compensation, media income, shoe and apparel income." Any payments made to previous coaches to satisfy contractual agreements for coaching are placed elsewhere in the financial report form (Line 26-Severance Payments) and are not included in this calculation. This calculation differs from that of USA TODAY, which includes external sports-related income directly contracted with a coach. Due to a change in the NCAA Financial Reports, postseason football bowl bonuses paid to coaches were not reported in this line for Fiscal Years 2015-2017. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2018 (and for years prior to Fiscal Year 2015), this category includes bonuses for football bowl appearances that are reported on a separate line item (Line 41A). (From NCAA Financial Reports). See also SEVERANCE. 

FOOTBALL SPENDING: 

Definition: Total football operating expenses, including the cost of athletics student aid. 

Explanation: Amount of total football operating expenses (reported on line 42 by sport on the NCAA financial report form). (NCAA financial reports) 

GAME EXPENSES AND TRAVEL: 

Definition: Game expenses are competition expenses other than travel. Travel expenses are spending on transportation, lodging, meals, and incidentals for preseason and regular season competition. 

Explanation: Travel expenses (Line 28) are air and ground travel, lodging, meals and incidentals (including housing costs incurred during school break period) for competition related to preseason, regular season and non-bowl postseason. Amounts incurred for food and lodging for housing the team before a home game are also included. Travel expenses include use of the institution's own vehicles or planes as well as in-kind value of donor-provided transportation. Game-day expenses (Line 30) are competition expenses other than travel necessary for intercollegiate athletics competition, including officials, security, event staff, ambulance, etc. Also included are payments back to the NCAA for hosting a championship or conference for hosting a tournament. Expenses related to participation in football post-season bowls (Line 41) are also included in this category. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

GRANT-IN-AID: 

Explanation: See athletic student aid

group of five conferences [Note: beginning FY2024-25, the name will change to group of six conferences]

Definition: The Group of Five is the term for the Football Bowl Subdivision conferences that do not have autonomy status in the NCAA. These conferences are the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference-USA (C-USA), the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Mountain West Conference, and the Sun Belt Conference. [Beginning FY2024-25, the group name will change to the Group of Six, with a newly constituted Pac-12 Conference joining this grouping.]

Explanation: These conferences do not have NCAA autonomy status nor automatic berths in the New Year's Six bowl games. Beginning FY2024-25, these conferences share less than 10% of College Football Playoff revenues. 

The financial data represented in the Group of Five [Group of Six in FY25] category includes the membership of the institutions in the appropriate fiscal years. For example, beginning in FY25, data for Oregon State University and Washington State University will be represented in this group since those institutions shifted from Autonomy Conferences to this group in FY25. See Also AUTONOMY CONFERENCES

HEADCOUNT: 

Please see definition for Unduplicated athlete (Headcount).

INSTITUTIONAL/GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: 

Definition: Revenue received from governments, direct funds from the institution for athletics operations, and costs covered and services provided by the institution to athletics (and for athletics debt) but not charged to athletics. 

Explanation: Several categories are added together to provide information about revenue that is allocated to athletics. This revenue is not generated by athletics. The following categories are combined: 

  • Direct State or Other Government Support - State, municipal, federal and other appropriations made in support of athletics. This amount includes funding specifically earmarked for the athletics department by government agencies for which the institution cannot reallocate. This amount includes state-funded employee benefits. (Line 2).
  • Direct Institutional Support - Funds provided by the institution to athletics for the operations of intercollegiate athletics including unrestricted funds allocated to the athletics department by the university (e.g. state funds, tuition, tuition discounts/waivers, transfers), Federal work study support for student workers employed by athletics, and endowment unrestricted income, spending policy distributions and other investment income distributed to athletics in the reporting year to support athletic operations. This does not include athletics restricted endowment income. (Line 4). 
  • Indirect Institutional Support - The value of costs covered and services provided by the institution to athletics but not charged to athletics. These costs are administrative services provided by the university to athletics but not charged such as HR, Accounting and IT, Facilities Maintenance, Security, Risk Management, and Utilities but not depreciation. (Line 6). 
  • Indirect Institutional Support for Athletics Facilities Debt Service, Lease, and Rental Fees - Debt service payments (principal and interest, including internal loan programs), leases and rental fees for athletics facilities for the reporting year provided by the institution to athletics but not charged to athletics. Depreciation is not reported. (Line 6A). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

IPEDS: 

The acronym for the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. All higher education institutions that participate in the Title IV financial aid programs are required to report financial and other information to this federal database making it the primary source for data on colleges, universities and technical and vocational postsecondary institutions in the United States. See Data Sources for link.

LESS TRANSFERS BACK: 

Definition: Money returned to the institution to reimburse student fees and direct institutional support. 

Explanation: See definition for Excess Transfers Back.

MEDICAL EXPENSES: 

Definition: Medical expenses and medical insurance premiums. 

Explanation: Expenses paid by the institution for student-athletes’ medical expenses and medical insurance premiums (Line 37). This line does not include salaries for medical personnel as those expenses are accounted for in administrative compensation. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

NCAA SUBDIVISION: 

Definition: NCAA Division I subdivision based on the football team’s competitive classification as of the last reporting year in the spending database. 

Explanation: The NCAA subdivision reported on profile pages is the most recent level of competition within the NCAA Division I, either: FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision), FCS (Football Championship Subdivision), or Division I - No Football. For institutions that switched subdivisions during the period covered in this database, data are counted in the subdivision in which an institution participated during each fiscal year. For example, the institutional profile for the University of South Dakota (USD) shows it as a member of FCS. However, data are not reported for the USD prior to the 2009 (academic/fiscal year 2008-09) when USD was a member of NCAA Division II. 

FBS and FCS subdivisions have different scholarship, scheduling, and sports sponsorship requirements. An FBS institution must sponsor 16 varsity intercollegiate sports while other Division I institutions must sponsor only 14 sports. FBS institutions must award greater amounts of athletic student aid and meet stricter home football attendance benchmarks than FCS programs. 

NUMBER OF SPORTS TEAMS: 

Definition: Teams recognized by the institution as varsity intercollegiate sports teams and by the NCAA through its sponsorship of a championship in that sport or as an emerging sport for women. 

Explanation: These data were provided by the NCAA as reported by each institution on the NCAA’s sports sponsorship reporting form. 

OTHER EXPENSES:

Definition: Expenses related to the following categories: College athlete cash academic and graduation awards,fundraising, marketing and promotion, sports camps, spirit groups, membership and dues, team banquets and awards, and other operating expenses. 

Explanation: Other expenses related to spending that are not otherwise listed in a specific spending category in this database. This category combines several separate expense lines listed in NCAA Financial Reports and that by themselves make up a tiny percentage of overall expenses: 

  • Fundraising, Marketing and Promotion - Costs associated with fundraising, marketing and promotions for sport programs, such as media guides, brochures, recruiting publications. (Line 31). 
  • Sports Camps - Expenses paid by the athletics department, with non-athletics personnel salaries and benefits, from hosting sports camps and clinics. (Line 32). 
  • Spirit Groups - Support for spirit groups like bands, cheerleaders, mascots, and dancers. (Line 33). 
  • Membership and Dues - All memberships, conference and association dues. (Line 38). 
  • Other Operating Expenses - Any operating expenses paid by athletics in the report year that cannot be classified into another category, such as college athlete cash academic and graduation awards, non-team travel (athlete participation in conferences or meetings), team banquets and awards (e.g., trophies, rings). (Line 40). (From NCAA Financial Reports). See Academic and Graduation Awards 

OTHER REVENUE: 

Definition: Revenue from the following categories: Compensation and benefits provided by a third party; game program, novelty, parking and concession sales; sports camps and clinics; athletics restricted endowment and investments income; and, other operating revenue. 

Explanation: The “Other Revenue” category combines a number of separate revenue lines from the NCAA Financial Reports. These separate categories amount to a tiny percentage of overall revenue. This category includes revenue from categories that are not otherwise listed in "Where the Money Comes From." These revenue line items are: 

  • Compensation and Benefits From a Third Party – Compensation and Benefits provided by a third party and contractually guaranteed by the institution, but not included on the institution's W-2. Such compensation may include: car stipend, country club membership, allowances for clothing, housing, and entertainment, speaking fees, camps compensation, media income, and shoe and apparel income. (Line 10). 
  • Game Programs, Novelties, Food and Concessions, and Parking – Revenue from these activities. (Line 14). 
  • Sports Camps and Clinics – Revenue received by the institution for sports camps and clinics. (Line 16). 
  • Athletics Restricted Endowment and Investments Income –Distributions from athletics restricted endowments and investment income used for athletics operations in the reporting year. This includes restricted investment and endowment income used for the operations of intercollegiate athletics. This does not include institutional allocations of income from unrestricted endowments. Endowment income reported is only up to the amount of expenses covered by the endowment for the reporting year. (Line 17). 
  • Other Operating Revenue includes any other operating revenues received by athletics not classified into any other category. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

RECRUITING: 

Definition: Spending on transportation, lodging, meals, and other personnel and administrative expenses relating to recruitment of prospective student-athletes. 

Explanation: Transportation, lodging and meals for prospective student-athletes and institutional personnel on official and unofficial visits, telephone call charges, postage and such. Includes value of use of institution's own vehicles or planes as well as in-kind value of loaned or contributed transportation. (Line 27). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

REGION: 

Explanation: One of nine geographic regions in the United States as defined by IPEDS. The regions are: Far West, Great Lakes, Mid East, New England, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, and US Service Schools. (From IPEDS). 

SEVERANCE: 

Definition: Payments and benefits made for coaches and/or administrative staff no longer employed by the school. 

Explanation: Severance payments and applicable benefits recognized for past coaching and administrative personnel. (Line 26). (From NCAA Financial Reports). Previously, severance payments for coaches and administrative personnel were included with Coaches Compensation or Support and Administrative Compensation. In FY23, severance payments were created as a separate category in this database, and all prior reporting years were adjusted to reflect the respective severance payments in the reporting years. 

STUDENT FEES: 

Definition: Fees paid by students and allocated for the restricted use of the athletics department. 

Explanation: Student athletic fees are considered an allocated revenue. The amounts represent the total student fees assessed to the student body and restricted for support of intercollegiate athletics. (Line 3). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

STUDENT-ATHLETE MEALS (NON-TRAVEL): 

Definition: Meal allowance and food/snacks provided to student-athletes outside of competition travel. 

Explanation: This category includes spending on meal allowance and food/snacks that the institution provides to athletes outside of competition (Line 39) and are over and above meals provided as part of a scholarship package (Line 20 - See Athletics Student Aid). Prior to FY23, spending for this category was included in “Other Expenses” in this database. In FY23, this category was created as a stand-alone category in this database and all prior reporting years were adjusted to accurately reflect the data. 

SUPPORT AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMPENSATION 

Definition: Support and administrative staff compensation includes bonuses and benefits paid to all administrative and support staff. This category includes direct payment from the institution and payment from a third party. 

Explanation: Support and administrative staff compensation includes bonuses and benefits paid to all administrative and support staff reportable on the university or related entities (e.g. foundations or booster clubs) W-2 and 1099 forms inclusive of: gross wages and bonuses and benefits including allowances, speaking fees, retirement, stipends, memberships, media income, tuition reimbursement and earned deferred compensation, including those funded by the state. (Line 24). In addition, this category includes compensation, bonuses and benefits paid to administrative and support staff by a third party and contractually guaranteed by the institution, but not included on the institution’s W-2, such as: car stipend, country club membership, allowances for clothing, housing, and entertainment, speaking fees, camp compensation, media income, and shoe and apparel income. (Line 25). Severance payments for support and administrative staff are not included in this category and instead are reported in the Severance category.(From NCAA Financial Reports). See also SEVERANCE. 

TICKET SALES: 

Definition: Revenue received from ticket sales for all NCAA-sponsored sports at an institution. 

Explanation: Revenue received for sales of admissions to athletic events, including: public and faculty sales, student sales, shipping and handling fees. Any amount paid in excess of a ticket's face value to obtain preferential seating or priority is considered a “Donor Contribution.” (Line 1). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

TOTAL ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE, LEASES AND RENTAL FEES ON ATHLETIC FACILITIES: 

Definition: Payment of principal and interest on athletic facilities debt, leases and rental fees in the reporting year. 

Explanation: The NCAA financial report requires debt service, leases and rental fees to be included in the total amount of operating expenses to be reported on Line 34 (Athletic facilities debt service, leases, and rental fees). These amounts are verified through agreed-upon procedures. NOTE: NCAA definitional changes were made to this category in the NCAA Financial Report beginning in the 2015 fiscal year, resulting in increased reporting amounts for some institutions. As a result, this database notes that specific comparisons for this category cannot be made to amounts reported for years prior to FY2015. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

TOTAL ATHLETICS RELATED DEBT: 

Definition: Total athletic debt balances owed by the athletic department. 

Explanation: This amount is reported under "Other Reporting Items" in the NCAA Financial Report and includes all debt owed by the athletic department regardless of the purpose for which the debt was issued (e.g., facilities, equipment). NOTE: NCAA definitional changes were made to this category in the NCAA Financial Report beginning in the 2015 fiscal year, resulting in increased reporting amounts for some institutions. As a result, comparisons with amounts reported prior to FY2015 cannot be made. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

TOTAL ATHLETIC EXPENSES: 

Definition: All expenses for the athletics program plus "Excess Transfers to the Institution." 

Explanation: All expenses for the athletics program (Lines 20-41), plus Excess Transfers to the Institution as calculated by the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database (see Excess Transfers Back). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

TOTAL ATHLETIC REVENUES: 

Definition: Total revenues for the athletics program minus "Less Transfers to the Institution." 

Explanation: The total amount of revenue received by an athletics program in any given year. This includes all revenues for the athletics program (Lines 1-4, 6-19), minus Less Transfers to the Institution (Line 5). (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

TOTAL INSTITUTIONAL/GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND STUDENT FEES: 

Definition: Combination of Institutional/Government Support and Student Fees. 

Explanation: Also known as a "subsidy,” this is the sum of two categories as reported in this database: Institutional/Government Support and Student Fees. Those categories are in turn condensed from multiple categories of allocated revenue, including direct and indirect institutional support, direct government support and student fees. This consolidated category can be analyzed using the Custom Reporting tool. (From NCAA Financial Reports). 

UNDERGRADUATE SIZE: 

Definition: The number of total undergraduate students enrolled in an institution. (From IPEDS). 

UNDUPLICATED ATHLETE (HEADCOUNT): 

Definition: All athletic scholarship or non-scholarship students listed as participants on a varsity athletic team as of the first scheduled contest (with multi-sport athletes counted once). 

Explanation: A head count of students who, as of the day of a varsity team's first scheduled contest: (a) are listed by the institution on the varsity team's roster; (b) receive athletic student aid; or (c) practice with the varsity team and receive coaching from one or more varsity coaches. A student who satisfies one or more of these criteria is a participant, including a student on a team the institution designates or defines as junior varsity, freshman, or novice, or a student withheld from competition to preserve eligibility (i.e., a redshirt), or for academic, medical, or other reasons. This includes fifth-year team members who have already received a bachelor's degree. Participants who participate in multiple sports during the same academic year are counted only once (e.g., an individual participating in indoor track and cross country). (From EADA; From NCAA Financial Reports for U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy, when made publicly available.) 

YEAR:

Definition: The year designation represents the end of the academic and fiscal years (e.g., "2011" is the "2010-2011" academic and fiscal year).

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Data Sources and Links

Below is a list of hyperlinks to external databases used to help define the variables in this database. 

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COVID Impact On 2020 And 2021 Data

Please note there may be a significant variance when including FY 2021 data (and to a lesser extent, FY 2020). The COVID pandemic’s impact varied by school and state, but revenues were especially hard hit at schools where state law limited events so fewer games were played. Some schools in the Pac-12, for example, had a 50% drop in revenues. Expenses may also have been impacted by less travel and onsite recruiting or increases in COVID-mitigation efforts, for example.

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