USC Revenue Ranking Affirms Trojans' Status as 'Sleeping Giant'

The USC Trojans have long been viewed as one of the top "blue bloods" in the sport of college football thanks to the program's historic success, and despite some recent down years, USC's financial situation resembles that of a top 10 program in college football.

The Trojans' total revenue and expenses for the football team came in at roughly $74 million, according to USC's data revealed by the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) report.

usc trojans revenue expense numbers big ten college football playof ohio state buckeyes notre dame texas blue blood — Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Breaking Down the Biggest Spenders in College Athletics

Sports statistician Jeff Fuller compiled the top 10 athletic departments with the highest revenue based on EADA reports, and USC came in at No. 10.

1. Texas ($343.1 million)
2. Ohio State ($295.3 million)
3. Notre Dame ($289.6 million)
4. Tennessee ($285.4 million)
5. Penn State ($254.4 million)
6. Alabama ($244.6 million)
7. Michigan ($236.4 million)
8. Texas A&M ($235.5 million)
9. Oklahoma ($234.4 million)
10. USC ($234.0 million)

In the top 10, the Trojans hold companies with some of the biggest names in all of college sports, including fellow Big Ten members like Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan, as well as SEC foes like Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama. USC's longtime rival, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, round out the top three as one of the biggest "blue bloods" in college football.

Fuller's rankings measure the spending of entire athletic departments, but how does USC stack up in the Big Ten when it comes to resources available to the football team?

Ohio State leads the way with approximately $92 million spent on football for the 2024 fiscal year, followed by the Penn State Nittany Lions with roughly $77 million in expenses. However, USC at $74 million spent on football ranks among the biggest spenders in the Big Ten Conference, and the Trojans place above major programs like Michigan, Oregon, Nebraska, and Indiana.

With USC's revenue numbers near the top schools, the Trojans may be the biggest sleeping giant when it comes to football, especially when considering the program's rich history of individual and team success. The Trojans have seemingly taken steps to compete in the NIL era of college sports (or "wake the sleeping giant up"), but the program still feels a step behind when it comes to the upcoming season.

Recipe for College Football Playoff Success?

Interestingly, the schools with the highest-earning athletic departments are mostly expected to compete for the upcoming College Football Playoff.

Texas (No. 1), Ohio State (No. 2), Notre Dame (No. 3) make up the top three teams with the best odds of winning the national championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Trojans have the 15th-best betting odds for the upcoming national title at +3500, tied with the Michigan Wolverines. However, some schools that USC has beat, in terms of resources, are expected to perform better than the Trojans in 2026.

Indiana, Oregon, Miami, and Ole Miss all have better national championship odds than USC next season, but the top of the sport is still mainly led by blue blood programs like Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama and Oklahoma.

Success is obviously hard to achieve, let alone sustain, in the modern world of college football, but USC appears to be pointed in the right direction when it comes to becoming a perennial contender once again.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google