The University of Iowa, a member of the Big Ten Conference, made $42.9 million off its football team in 2018. That helped the department make nearly $7 million that year.
The numbers compared to Iowa’s in-state rival, out of the Big 12 Conference, are noticeably different. In 2018, Iowa State’s football program made $20.4 million, netting a total profit of $84,000.
On media rights alone, Iowa’s football program made nearly $38 million in revenue in 2018, Iowa State made just $18.2 million. Both athletic departments are self-sustaining, meaning they don’t take any money from the State of Iowa.
Compared to both of these Iowa schools, the University of Illinois made $28.5 million off its football program in 2018. The athletic department as a whole netted a profit of $6.4 million. The football program made $29.6 million off of media rights as well.
The Iowa Hawkeyes take on Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium at 3 p.m. Saturday, September 14, with College Gameday being in Ames for the first time.
