Tax filings: ACC paid average of $47.1M to full-share member schools, Big 12 paid average of $39.5M
Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips smiles during an NCAA college football news conference at the ACC media days, July 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Credit: AP/Matt Kelley
The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 reported record revenues for the 2024-25 sports season, though those continued to lag behind massive gains for their Big Ten and Southeastern Conference peers.
In annual 990 tax filings this month, the ACC reported about $826.5 million in revenue and a sixth straight year with a record total, while the Big 12 reported $610.9 million. That covered from July 2024 through June 2025, coinciding with national realignment that formed four superconferences.
The ACC paid an average of nearly $47.1 million to 14 football-playing members receiving full-distribution shares, up from about $45 million the previous year. The Big 12 paid an average of around $39.5 million, marking a slight decline.
By comparison, the Big Ten and SEC both crossed the $1 billion mark in total revenue for that same season, with the Big Ten paying an average of nearly $79.9 million to full-share members while the SEC came in at nearly $72.4 million.
In the ACC, new additions California, Stanford and SMU received reduced shares (an average of $19.9 million) as part of deals to join the league, while Notre Dame receives a partial share ($18.1 million) as a football independent.
Those totals included the first year of the league's new “success initiative” championed by commissioner Jim Phillips, one of multiple steps the league has taken to address the growing revenue gap behind the Big Ten and SEC. The success initiative allows schools to keep more of the postseason money generated from their own success rather than distributing those revenues equally among all members.
As a result, Clemson earned the highest payout at $55.1 million, which included $4 million for making the College Football Playoff for the 2024 season. SMU's $17 million payout included that same bump for its own CFP appearance that year.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addresses the media during the NCAA college Big 12 women's basketball media day, Oct. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Charlie Riedel
The ACC has also revamped its revenue-distribution plan to factor in TV viewership and reward top-draw schools, though the impact from that change won't show until the tax filing for the 2025-26 season next year.
Brett Yormark's Big 12 added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12 for 2024-25, with those schools all receiving full payouts ranging between $37.9 million and $43 million.
The league had previously added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF with reduced-share payouts, which averaged about $20.8 million in the most recent tax filing.
