This Saturday’s season opener against Liberty kicks off the 2019 season for the sport that has generated the most revenue in recent history for SU Athletics.

Information released in April regarding financial data from two academic years ago, July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, from Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA) shows that Syracuse reported $96,722,491 in total revenue across all sports. Almost half of that came from football.

Additionally, SU Athletics’ average annual institutional salary per head coach increased as well, with men’s salaries rising $156,572 to $988,648 and women’s increasing by $26,584 to reach $238,457. For the women, that was more than five times greater than the increase from 2015-16 to 2016-17. For the men, it was a change in direction after that number had decreased approximately $8,000 the year before.

Here’s a look at the financial data from the 2017-18 season for football and men’s and women’s basketball, three major sports at SU.

Football

According to the data provided by Syracuse University to EADA, football brought in  $41,533,110 in the 2017 season, nearly $10 million more than the men’s basketball program. That season — head coach Dino Babers’ second at SU — the Orange lost five consecutive games to close the campaign and drudged to a 4-8 record for the third-straight season.

But on Oct. 13, Syracuse knocked off then-No. 2 Clemson 27-24 in the Carrier Dome. That season, the Tigers led the ACC in revenue with more than $52 million. Louisville and Boston College, who both steamrolled the Orange by more than 28 points that season, took in $43,649,769 and $32,378,875 in revenue, respectively.

Even though the 2017-18 football team generated the most revenue for SU, the team actually made $2.65 million less than the prior year. In 2016-17, Syracuse took in $44,182,377 in revenue in Babers’ first season on the sidelines.

The Orange contributed an undisclosed amount to a total men’s recruiting expense of $1,002,537, and accumulated $24,994,763 in total expenses — along with an operating expense total of $3,529,663.

Men’s Basketball

During the 2017-18 season, highlighted by three NCAA Tournament wins and a run to the Sweet 16, SU men’s basketball pulled in $31,772,639 million dollars in revenue, according to the EADA data. That year, sophomore Tyus Battle averaged 19.2 points per game and spearheaded an Orange defense that held opponents to a 31.8% shooting percentage.

Virginia, the ACC tournament champion from that season, listed its revenue at just under $13.5 million. North Carolina, who made a run to the ACC tournament final as a No. 6 seed, made only slightly more at $24.6 million. The only ACC school to earn more than Syracuse was Duke ($36,412,223), who knocked the Orange out of the NCAA Tournament.

Women’s Basketball

Despite a campaign in which sophomore guard Tiana Mangakahia led in nation in assists and assists per game, the Orange suffered losses in the first rounds of both the ACC and NCAA tournament in the 2017-18 season. SU’s women’s basketball brought in $1,863,762 of revenue, more than $200,000 greater than ACC tournament champion Louisville ($1,610,281). Florida State led the ACC in that category with $6,245,942.

The program accounted for $5,448,042 in expenses, just under 23% of the total expenses across all SU women’s teams, and contributed to a $429,014 recruiting expense total that stretched across all women’s programs.

Published on August 27, 2019 at 11:15 pm

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew