Over the next 15 years the SEC will earn about $3 billion from its television deals, according to Mr. College Football.
What should fans expect?
More spending! According to Mr. College Football, “It’s clear now that the league is going to spend some of that money on acquiring and retaining the best coaches possible. This is nothing new for the SEC. There are just a lot more zeroes on the checks.”
Indeed. Budgets in the SEC have climbed to near the $100 million mark over the last few years (Florida’s budget last year was over $100 million in actual spending and Alabama’s budget last year was about $93 million), and with even more money pouring into the league—there will be even more growth.
Sidenote: The SEC athletic department budget page has been updated with some new data. Alabama provided its actual spending for the 2007-2008 budget year, and will provide the actuals for 2008-2009 at the conclusion of this fiscal year. Auburn also called to provide its total athletic picture to include revenue, etc. It provides a more detailed and accurate picture of Auburn’s status among the top programs in the conference.