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Report: Alabama athletic revenues higher than all 30 NHL teams, most NBA teams

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team is 79-15 under Nick Saban. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team is 79-15 under Nick Saban. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The University of Alabama recorded $143 million in athletic revenues last year, more than any NHL team and 25 of 30 NBA teams, associate professor Marc Edelman of City University of New York told the Associated Press.

Edelman spoke with the AP regarding the upcoming vote by Northwestern University football players on unionization that could upend the current revenue structure of the NCAA and its member schools. The article also noted that spending by college football programs has escalated along with rising revenues.

Other major programs such as Florida ($129 million), Ohio State ($123 million), Michigan ($122 million), Southern California ($97 million) and Oregon ($81 million) also are grossing massive dollars. They are also spending big bucks, too.

Most universities are just trying to keep pace in the arms race of college athletics, reporting spending as much — or more — than they are making annually. Many athletic departments also receive subsidies from universities in the form of student fees.

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