STARKVILLE – How much does the SEC Network mean to Mississippi State and the other 13 schools in the Southeastern Conference?
It paved the way for a record-setting year in revenue, one that will end with MSU and each member institution receiving a check for $31.2 million. That number represents a dramatic increase from 2013-14, when the league set the previous record by hauling in $22.1 million per school.
Outgoing SEC commissioner Mike Slive announced Friday, the final day of the SEC meetings in Destin, Florida, that the league generated $455.8 million this year, money that will be divided among the 14 teams. That includes $436.8 million dispersed from the league office, and $19 million earned by the 11 SEC football teams that reached bowl games.
“The ability to provide a significant distribution of revenue is more critical than ever for our institutions as they offer more financial and educational benefits to current and former student-athletes,” said Slive in a release. “Beginning this year, our schools will fund new costs associated with providing scholarships based on full cost of attendance, enhance lifetime educational opportunities to former student-athletes and they are developing new facilities such as athletic nutrition centers to the benefit of student-athletes.”
The $31.2 million received by each school consists of revenue from television contracts, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC Championship Game, SEC postseason tournaments, NCAA championships and a surplus distribution.
The record-setting payout by the SEC comes at an opportune time for MSU, as the school is currently undergoing major renovations and projects. The Bulldogs just completed their first season in the expanded Davis Wade Stadium for football, while MSU is also building a new softball stadium with plans on the horizon for an unprecedented $40 million renovation for Dudy Noble Field, MSU’s baseball facility.
“Mississippi State is blessed to have great resources because of the passion of Bulldog fans and the strength of the SEC,” said MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin by phone on Saturday. “Those resources continue to position us to provide great academic and athletic experiences for our students, staff, alumni and all those who love MSU.”
Friday’s announcement marked the 25th consecutive year that the SEC surpassed its previous record for revenue, as the league continues to be the top money-maker in college athletics.
And the numbers are staggering. Five years ago in 2010, the SEC distributed $165 million among its 12 schools. In the five years since, the league’s revenue has nearly tripled.
In 2013, the league dispersed $304 million. That number then climbed slightly last year, moving to $309 million, which added up to $22.1 million per school.
But the advent of the SEC Network and the debut of the College Football Playoff changed the payout dramatically, improving the SEC’s yearly revenue by $146 million. The Network, launched in August, along with the Playoff, was a huge part in each school receiving an extra $9 million this fiscal year.
The league also raised fines for rushing fields or courts to $50,000 for first-time offenders, then $100,000 and $250,000 for subsequent violations.
n Keenum elected vice-president of SEC: MSU President Mark Keenum added league vice-president to his resume on Friday, as Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors elected Keenum to the post on the final day of the SEC meetings.
Keenum will serve a one-year term, and his election places him in line to become league president by 2016.
Keenum’s duties as vice president will include serving as liaison to SE-U, where he will promote the academic achievements of students, faculty and staff members throughout the conference.
“I look forward to helping tell the story of the academic successes of so many of our students, the talents of our faculty, and the outstanding research under way at the universities in our great conference,” said Keenum. “”I am honored to be chosen to serve in a leadership position and to help direct policy in the most prestigious athletic conference in the nation. I appreciate the support of my colleagues in the conference during this exciting time in the history of the SEC.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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