Does the Big Ten make more money than the SEC?

Despite the immense passion and dedication that goes into college football, one can argue that at the end of the day, it's all about the money, which the Big Ten and the SEC know all too well. But does the Big Ten make more money than the SEC?

One thing is for sure: these two top dogs of the Power Five are raking in record-high revenues. So, without further ado, let's dive in.

Does the Big Ten make more money than the SEC?

Yes, it does. A recent report on CBS Sports showed that the Big Ten earned $845.6 million in total revenue last year. The SEC, on the other hand, raked in $802 million. This translates to approximately $58.8 million payout per Big Ten school and $49.9 million per SEC school.

These two schools are so far ahead of other Power Five conferences in terms of overall revenue. The closest third-placer, which is the ACC, "only" earned $617 million. The Pac-12 is in fourth place with $580 million ($37 million school payout) and the Big 12 is in fifth with $480.6 million ($42-$44.9 million school payout).

Why does the Big Ten earn that much money?

Just like any other sports conference (and leagues, in general), the Big Ten conference earns through TV deals and game attendance revenues, among others. But the biggest contributor is the massive TV broadcast rights deal.

As per a report by the New York Times, the Big Ten recently signed the richest-ever TV broadcast deal for a collegiate athletic league: at least $1 billion a year. The agreement is for seven years and is, as a result, worth at least $7 billion for the remainder of it.

The deal's massive value comes from the insane amount of buzz and excitement that sports, specifically college sports, generate from the American masses. Excited fans end up paying for tickets at stadiums and spending on merchandise. Sometimes, they also spend money elsewhere, "marking" where they've been, like Clemson fans with their $2 bills.

What about the SEC and the others?

Being in second place doesn't mean the SEC is running on financial fumes, however. The $802 million in revenue is still expected to grow because, in 2020, the SEC signed a 10-year exclusive media rights deal with ESPN from 2024-2034. The estimated value of that deal is $3 billion.

As for the other Power Five conferences, they also inked their multi-year, multi-billion-dollar rights deals years before and are set to reap more benefits from them with time.