The SEC may not distribute as much revenue as the Big Ten and Pac-12, thanks largely in part to their respective conference networks, but the conference home of the last six BCS champions still paid out nearly $20 million to each of its members for the 2010-11 year.
Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News reports, citing the conference’s IRS filing, that the 12 members of the SEC averaged about $19.5 million in conference payout in 2010-11. It wasn’t entirely equal; Kentucky received the most ($19.67 million), and Ole Miss and Arkansas tied for the lowest amount($19.41 million), but all made at least $1.1 million more than the average payout for SEC schools the previous year ($18.3 million).
Although SEC schools will now have to split revenue with 13 other members with the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M, the the conference can, and almost certainly will, revisit its TV deals with media rights holders.
The conference-affiliated network/TV deals and conference expansion have played instrumental roles in the widening gap between the so-called “have’s” and “have nots” of college football. The Sports Business Journal reported earlier this month that ACC members are expected to net at least $1 million to $2 million more a year with the addition of Pitt and Syracuse. The Pac-12 has already announced its bombshell of a deal that will provide the conference with what has been reported to be nearly $3 billion.