Skip to main content
Friday, November 13, 2026Nov 13
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Big score: College bowl game payouts surpass $500 million

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2015, file photo, Ohio State, right, and Oregon play during the first half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game in Arlington, Texas. According to an NCAA report to be released Tuesday, April 14, 2015, the 39 postseason FBS games distributed $505.9 million to the participating conferences and schools. The schools spent $100.2 million to take part in bowl games. The increase in payouts is due mostly to the increased value of media deals with the seven games, six bowls and a national championship game, that are part of the College Football Playoff. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2015, file photo, Ohio State, right, and Oregon play during the first half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game in Arlington, Texas. According to an NCAA report to be released Tuesday, April 14, 2015, the 39 postseason FBS games distributed $505.9 million to the participating conferences and schools. The schools spent $100.2 million to take part in bowl games. The increase in payouts is due mostly to the increased value of media deals with the seven games, six bowls and a national championship game, that are part of the College Football Playoff. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

By Associated Press 1 min read

Bowl games paid more than a half billion dollars to college football conferences and schools last season, the most ever and an increase of almost $200 million from the final season of the Bowl Championship Series to the first of the College Football Playoff.

According to an NCAA report to be released Tuesday, the 39 postseason FBS games distributed $505.9 million to the participating conferences and schools. The schools spent $100.2 million to take part in bowl games.

Total payouts from 35 postseason games from the 2013-14 season were $309.9 million while schools spent $97.8 million to participate. For the 2012-13 season, payouts were $300.8 million and expenses were $90.3 million.

The increase in payouts is due mostly to the increased value of media deals with the seven games – six bowls and a national championship game – that are part of the College Football Playoff.