Missouri Gets Annual Reminder of Why it Joined the SEC: Money
The Missouri Tigers got a nice reminder of why they switched to the Southeastern Conference more than a decade ago when commissioner Greg Sankey announced the league's annual revenue distribution on Thursday.
For the 2022-23 fiscal year, which ended August 31, 2023, the league is splitting $741.0 million. The total includes $718.0 million distributed directly from the conference office, and an additional $23.0 million retained by universities that participated in 2022-23 football bowl games.
The amount distributed from the conference office, excluding bowl expenses retained by participants, averaged $51.3 million per school. Missouri, of course, played in the Cotton Bowl.
The total revenue for 2022-23 is an increase above the $721.8 million distributed in 2021-22. The average per school distribution increased from $49.9 million in 2021-22, not including bowl money retained by participants.
The total 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, and NCAA championships.
The distribution amount does not include an additional $8.1 million of NCAA and SEC grants divided among the fourteen member universities.
"SEC member universities are proud to support thousands of student-athletes who participate in broad-based athletics programs across the league," Sankey said in a statement. "SEC universities are committed to providing a high-level experience for all of our participants through an impactful and life-changing college experience that includes world-class support in coaching, training, academic counseling, medical care, mental health support, nutrition, life-skills development and post-eligibility healthcare coverage for student-athletes."
To add a little perspective, the year before Missouri joined the SEC in 2012, the league distributed $248.1 million, $19.5 million per school. Big 12 teams, meanwhile, split $183 million in revenue, and not equally.
It's first year in the SEC, Missouri's conference share from the SEC was reportedly $21.1 million.
Moreover, with the league doing away with divisions for the 2024-25 season, Missouri won't be paying extra travel expenses from playing in the East despite being the most northwestern school geographically in the conference.
