Skip to content

Sports in the United States

2,037 colleges reported $28.3 billion of athletics revenue and $27.6 billion of athletics expenses for the 2024–25 survey year, and 654,196 athletes on their varsity teams. Every college that takes federal student aid and has an intercollegiate athletics program reports to the Department of Education, and these are its figures as the colleges submitted them.

College athletics, 2024–25

63.2%
Reported revenue exactly equal to expenses
1,288 of the 2,037 colleges: revenue as the Department counts it is not profit.
2,037
Colleges reporting
Co-educational colleges that take federal student aid and field intercollegiate teams.
$28.3 billion
Revenue, as reported
$28,289,565,477
Includes state support, student fees and what a college gives its own athletics. Not profit.
$27.6 billion
Expenses, as reported
$27,625,630,536
Of which athletically related student aid $5.3 billion and recruiting $436.8 million.
654,196
Athletes
387,927 men and 266,269 women, each counted once however many teams they play on.
40.7%
Women’s share of athletes
Of the unduplicated count of athletes at the reporting colleges.
55.1%
Women’s share of students
Of the 8,236,095 students the same colleges reported enrolling.

What stands out

Five findings. From the Office of Postsecondary Education's Equity in Athletics files for 2024–25, each one a row from a query.

  • 1,288 of the 2,037 colleges reporting for 2024–25, 63.2%, reported athletics revenue exactly equal to their athletics expenses, including 85 of the 128 in NCAA Division I-FBS. Revenue equal to expenses →

    The Department's revenue includes state or other government support and student activity fees, so a college that covers its athletics budget from its own funds reports that money as revenue. Revenue here is not profit.

  • The 128 colleges in NCAA Division I-FBS, 6.3% of those reporting, reported 53.3% of all athletics revenue in 2024–25: $15.1 billion of $28.3 billion. NCAA Division I-FBS →

  • Women were 40.7% of college athletes and 55.1% of students at the reporting colleges in 2024–25. In 2008–09 the two shares were 40.4% and 54.4%. Women in college sports →

    Athletes are counted once however many teams they play on; students are the colleges’ enrollment as they reported it. The two shares are set side by side, and neither is a finding about any college’s compliance with Title IX.

  • Football teams at 876 colleges reported $8.0 billion of revenue in 2024–25, 38.3% of the revenue colleges attributed to a team. Basketball, at 1,942 colleges, reported $4.3 billion. Football →

    Revenue a college did not allocate to any sport is left out of the teams’ total, so the share is of the revenue attributed to teams, not of all athletics revenue.

  • The University of Texas at Austin reported $343.1 million of athletics revenue in 2024–25, the most of any college. The 10 largest reported $2.7 billion, 9.4% of the $28.3 billion reported by all 2,037. The University of Texas at Austin →

    Reported revenue, which includes the support a college gives its own athletics department, is not profit.

Revenue, expenses and athletes since 2008–09

Colleges reported $28.3 billion of athletics revenue in 2024–⁠25, against $11.2 billion in 2008–⁠09, in each year's dollars

Athletics revenue and expenses reported by every college that filed, each survey year from 2008–⁠09 to 2024–⁠25. In each year's dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Revenue includes the support a college gives its own athletics.

The colleges are those that filed that year, so the set changes a little from year to year. The 2020–21 survey year is the pandemic year, when fewer colleges filed and seasons were canceled; the file is what they reported.

Not adjusted for inflation: a dollar in 2008–09 bought more than a dollar in 2024–25, and this chart does not say how much more.

Source: The Education Department’s athletics disclosures

About this chart

The figures

Colleges reported $28.3 billion of athletics revenue in 2024–25, against $11.2 billion in 2008–09, in each year's dollars. Athletics revenue and expenses reported by every college that filed, each survey year from 2008–09 to 2024–25. In each year's dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Revenue includes the support a college gives its own athletics.
Survey yearRevenueExpensesCollegesRevenue equal to expenses
2008–⁠09$11.2 billion$10.9 billion2,0531,100 (53.6%)
2009–⁠10$11.8 billion$11.3 billion2,0571,128 (54.8%)
2010–⁠11$12.6 billion$12.1 billion2,0681,159 (56.0%)
2011–⁠12$13.5 billion$13.0 billion2,0741,197 (57.7%)
2012–⁠13$14.3 billion$13.9 billion2,0901,218 (58.3%)
2013–⁠14$15.2 billion$14.8 billion2,0751,221 (58.8%)
2014–⁠15$16.2 billion$15.7 billion2,0731,216 (58.7%)
2015–⁠16$17.2 billion$16.6 billion2,0761,249 (60.2%)
2016–⁠17$18.1 billion$17.5 billion2,0621,234 (59.8%)
2017–⁠18$19.3 billion$18.6 billion2,0791,272 (61.2%)
2018–⁠19$20.0 billion$19.5 billion2,0741,296 (62.5%)
2019–⁠20$19.9 billion$19.3 billion2,0731,266 (61.1%)
2020–⁠21$17.3 billion$16.8 billion1,8441,114 (60.4%)
2021–⁠22$22.3 billion$21.4 billion2,0281,213 (59.8%)
2022–⁠23$24.4 billion$23.7 billion2,0401,284 (62.9%)
2023–⁠24$26.3 billion$25.6 billion2,0401,287 (63.1%)
2024–⁠25$28.3 billion$27.6 billion2,0371,288 (63.2%)

Embed this chart

Paste this where you want the chart. The picture carries its title, source and credit, under the site’s license.

Women were 40.7% of college athletes in 2024–⁠25, against 40.4% in 2008–⁠09

Men and women on at least one varsity team at the reporting colleges, each counted once however many teams they play on, 2008–⁠09 to 2024–⁠25.

Women’s share of students is the reporting colleges’ own enrollment, set beside the share of athletes. The two are shown side by side; neither is a finding about any college’s compliance with Title IX.

In 2008–09 a few colleges left their participant counts blank; no later year does.

Source: The Education Department’s athletics disclosures

About this chart

The figures

Women were 40.7% of college athletes in 2024–25, against 40.4% in 2008–09. Men and women on at least one varsity team at the reporting colleges, each counted once however many teams they play on, 2008–09 to 2024–25.
Survey yearMenWomenWomen’s share of athletesWomen’s share of students
2008–⁠09297,025201,35040.4%54.4%
2009–⁠10303,266206,60740.5%54.2%
2010–⁠11308,706211,46140.7%54.2%
2011–⁠12312,599214,81240.7%54.2%
2012–⁠13320,086221,30540.9%54.0%
2013–⁠14324,226225,42541.0%53.8%
2014–⁠15329,737228,69641.0%53.9%
2015–⁠16333,012231,69741.0%53.9%
2016–⁠17334,481234,58141.2%53.8%
2017–⁠18338,111238,04741.3%54.0%
2018–⁠19341,438241,87141.5%54.3%
2019–⁠20344,246244,22241.5%54.6%
2020–⁠21286,868207,50342.0%55.6%
2021–⁠22363,336252,41041.0%55.6%
2022–⁠23369,054254,57040.8%55.3%
2023–⁠24379,305260,83540.7%55.1%
2024–⁠25387,927266,26940.7%55.1%

Embed this chart

Paste this where you want the chart. The picture carries its title, source and credit, under the site’s license.

Every division

Each college reports one athletic classification, named here as the Department names it for 2024–25. Revenue and expenses are as reported; the count of colleges reporting the two as exactly equal is beside them, and athletes and students are set side by side.

The 128 NCAA Division I-FBS colleges reported 53.3% of athletics revenue in 2024–⁠25

Athletics revenue reported by the colleges in each athletic classification, 2024–⁠25, named as the Department names them. Every reporting college is in one classification.

Source: The Education Department’s athletics disclosures

About this chart

The figures

The 128 NCAA Division I-FBS colleges reported 53.3% of athletics revenue in 2024–25. Athletics revenue reported by the colleges in each athletic classification, 2024–25, named as the Department names them. Every reporting college is in one classification.
ClassificationRevenueShare of revenueCollegesRevenue equal to expenses
NCAA Division I-FBS$15.1 billion53.3%12885
NCAA Division I-FCS$3.7 billion13.0%131106
NCAA Division I without football$2.5 billion8.8%9977
NCAA Division II with football$1.5 billion5.2%15691
NCAA Division III with football$1.3 billion4.4%235123
NAIA Division I$1.1 billion3.9%16688
NCAA Division II without football$1.0 billion3.7%13878
NCAA Division III without football$531.0 million1.9%169105
NJCAA Division I$462.7 million1.6%206145
NAIA Division II$418.0 million1.5%5932
CCCAA$234.3 million0.8%11356
NJCAA Division II$196.1 million0.7%157104
Other$137.5 million0.5%6245
NJCAA Division III$61.9 million0.2%9263
Independent$44.2 million0.2%97
NWAC$36.9 million0.1%3215
USCAA$26.7 million0.1%4737
NCCAA Division II$19.3 million0.1%2923
NCCAA Division I$10.4 million< 0.1%98

Embed this chart

Paste this where you want the chart. The picture carries its title, source and credit, under the site’s license.

4 more columns on a wider screen

College athletics by classification, 2024–25: reported revenue and expenses, and women's share of athletes and of students
ClassificationCollegesRevenue
NCAA Division I-FBS128$15.1 billion
NCAA Division I-FCS131$3.7 billion
NCAA Division I without football99$2.5 billion
NCAA Division II with football156$1.5 billion
NCAA Division II without football138$1.0 billion
NCAA Division III with football235$1.3 billion
NCAA Division III without football169$531.0 million
Other62$137.5 million
NAIA Division I166$1.1 billion
NAIA Division II59$418.0 million
NJCAA Division I206$462.7 million
NJCAA Division II157$196.1 million
NJCAA Division III92$61.9 million
NCCAA Division I9$10.4 million
NCCAA Division II29$19.3 million
CCCAA113$234.3 million
Independent9$44.2 million
NWAC32$36.9 million
USCAA47$26.7 million

By conference, as each Division I conference lists its members: every Division I conference. Federal money for a sports event: the World Cup security grants. Betting, state by state: sports betting.

Every sport

What colleges attributed to each sport’s teams in 2024–25. A college’s revenue and expenses not allocated to a sport are in its totals above and in no sport here.

Football teams reported $8.0 billion of revenue in 2024–⁠25, 38.3% of what colleges attributed to a team

Revenue colleges attributed to each sport's teams, 2024–⁠25. The 10 sports with the most are drawn and the table lists all 37. Revenue a college did not allocate to a sport is not in any bar.

A sport’s participants are counted on each of its teams, so an athlete on two teams is counted in both rows.

Source: The Education Department’s athletics disclosures

About this chart

The figures

Football teams reported $8.0 billion of revenue in 2024–25, 38.3% of what colleges attributed to a team. Revenue colleges attributed to each sport's teams, 2024–25. The 10 sports with the most are drawn and the table lists all 37. Revenue a college did not allocate to a sport is not in any bar.
SportRevenueExpensesCollegesMenWomen
Football$8.0 billion$5.8 billion876100,4890
Basketball$4.3 billion$4.1 billion1,94235,82229,384
Soccer$1.3 billion$1.4 billion1,68047,23144,591
Baseball$1.1 billion$1.2 billion1,67070,5730
Track and field and cross country, combined$887.9 million$1.0 billion80263,84664,085
Volleyball$825.4 million$866.2 million1,7665,41531,224
Softball$701.3 million$773.1 million1,619034,930
Golf$542.2 million$589.2 million1,27112,7247,573
Lacrosse$480.7 million$502.6 million59417,44414,263
Tennis$479.1 million$542.8 million1,0409,2729,738
Ice hockey$348.4 million$346.4 million1724,9443,221
Swimming and diving, combined$292.3 million$358.3 million3557,0639,450
Wrestling$234.4 million$257.0 million44112,9573,445
Rowing$189.7 million$221.1 million1452,7356,591
Other sports$154.9 million$146.5 million4326,9959,790
Field hockey$128.8 million$138.4 million27306,444
Outdoor track and field$117.5 million$113.0 million54015,16311,997
Swimming$111.8 million$114.6 million3174,4014,745
Cross country$108.9 million$104.9 million7718,5737,129
Gymnastics$97.3 million$140.3 million1012512,294
Water polo$65.0 million$67.9 million1141,8811,964
Indoor track and field$63.3 million$60.5 million31310,1358,460
Beach volleyball$53.4 million$57.8 million202883,128
Bowling$48.8 million$47.9 million2011,4341,894
Equestrian$43.0 million$51.3 million61351,731
Rodeo$26.8 million$26.3 million771,1531,033
Fencing$24.7 million$27.5 million45671752
Skiing$22.2 million$25.2 million39507471
Squash$15.7 million$13.8 million34457402
Sailing$13.2 million$12.0 million29382681
Rifle$9.9 million$11.3 million39225240
Weightlifting$7.8 million$5.6 million28335254
Archery$4.4 million$4.2 million24196231
Synchronized swimming$3.5 million$3.5 million5088
Diving$1.7 million$1.7 million51516
Badminton$891,178$976,619130113
Table tennis$459,999$459,99994131

Embed this chart

Paste this where you want the chart. The picture carries its title, source and credit, under the site’s license.

Every state

Colleges in Texas and California reported $2.2 billion of athletics revenue each in 2024–⁠25, the most of any state

Athletics revenue reported by the colleges in each state, 2024–⁠25. Hatching marks a state where a larger share of colleges than nationally reported revenue exactly equal to expenses.

Key: 5 shades, lightest to darkest: under $130m; $130m to $390m; $390m to $540m; $540m to $820m; $820m and over. crosshatched: not reported. hatched: revenue equal to expenses at more than 63.2% of colleges.

Too small to see on the map:District of Columbia$160m

Nationally, 1,288 of 2,037 colleges, 63.2%, reported revenue exactly equal to expenses in 2024–25. In 27 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia the share was higher.

A state’s total follows how many colleges it has and which divisions they play in, so the map shows where the reported money is, not how any one college compares.

Source: The Education Department’s athletics disclosures

About this chart

The figures

Colleges in Texas and California reported $2.2 billion of athletics revenue each in 2024–25, the most of any state. Athletics revenue reported by the colleges in each state, 2024–25. Hatching marks a state where a larger share of colleges than nationally reported revenue exactly equal to expenses.
StateRevenueExpensesCollegesRevenue equal to expenses
Texas$2.2 billion$2.1 billion11271 (63.4%)
California$2.2 billion$2.1 billion18299 (54.4%)
Florida$1.4 billion$1.4 billion6852 (76.5%)
Pennsylvania$1.3 billion$1.2 billion12273 (59.8%)
North Carolina$1.2 billion$1.2 billion6743 (64.2%)
New York$1.1 billion$1.1 billion14186 (61.0%)
Ohio$989.6 million$977.7 million6545 (69.2%)
Indiana$963.6 million$874.8 million4122 (53.7%)
Tennessee$888.2 million$885.2 million4629 (63.0%)
Virginia$868.8 million$862.4 million4328 (65.1%)
Illinois$824.4 million$817.3 million9360 (64.5%)
Michigan$797.7 million$779.6 million6037 (61.7%)
Alabama$791.5 million$759.0 million4526 (57.8%)
Georgia$750.5 million$734.4 million5336 (67.9%)
South Carolina$746.3 million$735.8 million4028 (70.0%)
Massachusetts$660.4 million$655.3 million6038 (63.3%)
Oklahoma$625.9 million$619.6 million3321 (63.6%)
Kentucky$602.7 million$596.4 million2717 (63.0%)
Missouri$594.5 million$589.4 million5433 (61.1%)
Kansas$584.4 million$559.1 million4722 (46.8%)
Iowa$537.8 million$505.9 million4425 (56.8%)
Louisiana$533.6 million$529.2 million2619 (73.1%)
Mississippi$487.4 million$485.8 million3123 (74.2%)
New Jersey$454.9 million$452.9 million4433 (75.0%)
Washington$435.1 million$407.0 million4121 (51.2%)
Utah$425.4 million$397.7 million106 (60.0%)
Colorado$421.8 million$420.8 million2114 (66.7%)
Arizona$414.4 million$413.8 million2822 (78.6%)
Oregon$397.9 million$388.3 million2714 (51.9%)
Connecticut$397.0 million$389.9 million2014 (70.0%)
Nebraska$393.3 million$383.7 million2112 (57.1%)
Wisconsin$380.5 million$364.1 million3619 (52.8%)
Arkansas$352.6 million$345.0 million3727 (73.0%)
Minnesota$352.0 million$340.6 million4330 (69.8%)
Maryland$349.5 million$347.3 million3524 (68.6%)
West Virginia$250.7 million$248.7 million1810 (55.6%)
Rhode Island$190.2 million$189.4 million94 (44.4%)
Idaho$163.9 million$143.7 million85 (62.5%)
District of Columbia$160.4 million$154.7 million85 (62.5%)
New Mexico$143.4 million$138.7 million126 (50.0%)
Nevada$132.8 million$130.2 million42 (50.0%)
New Hampshire$132.5 million$131.6 million129 (75.0%)
South Dakota$120.1 million$119.6 million128 (66.7%)
North Dakota$114.9 million$114.0 million1712 (70.6%)
Montana$107.9 million$105.5 million125 (41.7%)
Delaware$94.5 million$94.5 million54 (80.0%)
Maine$90.5 million$88.5 million1914 (73.7%)
Hawaii$72.6 million$72.6 million44 (100.0%)
Wyoming$66.8 million$66.5 million87 (87.5%)
Vermont$57.7 million$56.9 million54 (80.0%)
Alaska$19.4 million$19.3 million21 (50.0%)

Outside the fifty states and the District of Columbia, and in none of the state figures: Puerto Rico, 17 colleges; U.S. Virgin Islands, 1 college; Simon Fraser University, outside the United States.

The 25 colleges that reported the most revenue

Revenue as each college reported it for 2024–25, with its expenses beside it. Revenue includes the support a college gives its own athletics department, so neither column is a measure of profit.

3 more columns on a wider screen

The 25 colleges reporting the most athletics revenue, 2024–25
RankCollegeRevenue
1The University of Texas at Austin$343.1 million
2Ohio State University-Main Campus$295.3 million
3University of Notre Dame$289.6 million
4The University of Tennessee-Knoxville$285.4 million
5Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$254.4 million
6The University of Alabama$244.6 million
7University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$236.4 million
8Texas A&M University-College Station$235.5 million
9University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$234.4 million
10University of Southern California$234.0 million
11University of Georgia$233.5 million
12University of Miami$230.5 million
13Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College$223.5 million
14University of Nebraska-Lincoln$205.8 million
15Auburn University$205.3 million
16University of South Carolina-Columbia$204.6 million
17University of Florida$199.2 million
18University of Arkansas$195.9 million
19Stanford University$192.8 million
20Florida State University$192.7 million
21University of Wisconsin-Madison$190.5 million
22University of Kentucky$186.6 million
23Clemson University$186.1 million
24Indiana University-Bloomington$182.1 million
25Duke University$181.6 million

Every college, ranked, with a find for any one: colleges by reported athletics revenue. Also ranked: expenses, athletes, athletic aid, football revenue and average head-coach salary.

Analysis

Each brief is prose written around values a query returned. Every figure in one is re-checked against its query before it can merge, so a number in the text cannot drift from the data behind it.

  • Women were 40.7% of college athletes and 55.1% of students

    Women were 40.7% of the athletes at the colleges that reported their athletics to the Department of Education for 2024–25, and 55.1% of the same colleges' students: 14.4 percentage points apart.

    American Factbook Research · September 27, 2026

  • 1,288 of 2,037 colleges report athletics revenue exactly equal to expenses

    1,288 of the 2,037 colleges that reported their athletics for 2024–25, 63.2%, reported revenue exactly equal to expenses, to the dollar. All 2,037 together reported $28.3 billion of athletics revenue and $27.6 billion of athletics expenses to the Department of Education.

    American Factbook Research · September 26, 2026

Everything in this hub

Every page in this topic, by kind.

Each college that reports its athletics to the Department of Education: its reported revenue and expenses, athletes, aid, teams and ranks. Listed by state, then by name.

More pages

3

Single pages of this hub that are not one of a kind.

Sources

Compiled automatically from Connecticut sports wagering — every licensee's wagers, revenue and payment to the state, by month, Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act data — every varsity team, by college and sport, Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act data — every college athletics program, by institution and FEMA's FIFA World Cup Grant Program — every award under assistance listing 97.160 by a checked SQL query · Editor: Kian O'Connor · How this site is built

Data retrieved