Here are the 2008-2009 athletic department budgets for member schools of the Southeastern Conference. The data is presented in text format and in graphic format for a helpful comparison between the schools. Almost every SEC athletic department responded in a quick and professional manner over the last 10 days; however, some data has not been provided at press time. Once the information is received, the chart and text will be updated. When the 2009-2010 budgets are completed this summer, we’ll also update the data.

sec 2008-2009 athletic department budgets

Alabama: UPDATE: Alabama provided the Actuals for the 2007-2008 budget on April 1. Alabama’s 2007-2008 budget actual was about $93 million. Alabama said the actual numbers for the 2008-2009 budget would be ready sometime in early July, when the new fiscal year begins.

Update 2: Helpful reader posted a link to data collected by the US government. The data isn’t for the latest budget year; however, it contains useful historic data. I used the historic data to create this chart for Alabama. As I mine more data, we’ll look to create other charts.

Alabama athletic budget growth

Arkansas: The Arkansas Razorbacks 2008-2009 fiscal budget was $51,757,000.

Auburn: UPDATE: On April 1, Terry Windle returned my call and provided Auburn’s total budget number including everything. According to the message left on my cell phone, Auburn’s total athletic budget was $75,211,000.
The Auburn Tigers 2008-2009 athletic department budget allocated $48,641,097 for athletic department expenses. The 2007-2008 athletic department budget spent $46,563,946. The 2008-2009 and 2007-2008 data came from budget files provided by Auburn that contained only expenditures, and not a breakdown of athletic department revenue.

Florida: The Florida athletic department budget for 2008-2009 was $83,120,052. The 2007-2008 Florida athletic department budget was $76.982 million; however, the Gators actually spent $102,006,816 on total revenue of $91,243,428 in 2007-2008.

Georgia: The Georgia athletic department has a $76,278,280 budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Kentucky: The Kentucky Wildcats’ athletic department budget for 2008-2009 was $67 million.

LSU: The LSU athletic department had a 2008-2009 budget of $75,800,000.

Mississippi: The 2008-2009 athletic department budget for Ole Miss was $34.4 million.

Mississippi State: Mississippi State University’s athletic department had a 2008-2009 athletic department budget of approximately $30 million.

South Carolina: The University of South Carolina had a 2008-2009 athletic department budget of $65 million.

Tennessee: The University of Tennessee’s athletic department budget for 2009 was $86,000,000. The University of Tennessee’s athletic department budget for 2008 was $77,960,000.

Vanderbilt: UPDATE:For comparison, the Vanderbilt 2007-2008 budget numbers reported to the U.S. Department of Education was $45,521,855.
The Vanderbilt Commodores have not determined if they will release the athletic department budget. The athletic department informed the Capstone Report that university administrators must approve release of the records. The Capstone Report has requested the 2008-2009 fiscal year budget, and will publish it if Vanderbilt makes it available.

18 thoughts on “SEC athletic department budgets”

  1. Wow……….Wo would have thunk Kentucky would be so high ?

  2. First, it’s no one’s business but the school what their budget is. Why does the SEC office need to know?
    Second, Bama could go independent anyway. The SEC office hasn’t helped Bama in the past. Membership just makes scheduling easier. Bama has carried the SEC in the past and is on the verge of doing so again. The SEC office is just a pipe-line of information so that members can cut each other’s throats! Which other conference does it as much!

  3. The SEC office? It was the Capstone Report that called around gathering the data. I have a right to know the athletic department budgets since it is public information (at least for everyone besides Vanderbilt which is a private institution.)

    Money is the sinews of war, as it was said. Money is important to athletic department success—how important is open for debate, but having access to the data should let me fans know where their institution stands relative to the rest of the conference.

  4. Thanks for the link. The data on the site looks to be from 2007-2008 budget year, but the good thing is the historical data on the site will allow construction of historical data and charts.

  5. did you hear that guys???

    grant says he loves football!

    raises for everybody!!!!

    (‘we’re in the money’ plays in the background)

  6. @ Daddio

    Really? In what sport? Y’all win the SEC West for the first time in almost a decade, and now you’re about to “carry the SEC”? Incredible.

  7. March 31st, 2009 at 10:33 am
    Wow……….Wo would have thunk Kentucky would be so high ?

    Basketball !!!!

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