The SEC made enough revenue in the most recent fiscal year to distribute $1.03 billion to its 16 schools, the conference announced Thursday. AdvertisementThat means SEC schools received an average payout of $72.4 million, up from $53.8 million in the previous fiscal year. So if the current fiscal year payout ends up just a tick higher, the year-over-year increase would match what SEC teams are paying their athletes. The vast majority of conference revenue comes from television contracts; ESPN is paying the SEC more than $900 million (the exact figure has not been revealed). The SEC generally has an equal distribution policy, but teams that make the CFP also receive direct payouts, which were included in the $1.03 billion figure.

Source: International New York Times February 06, 2026 09:04 UTC