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When it comes to college football, the landscape is dominated by two powerhouse conferences: the SEC and the Big Ten. These two leagues have combined to win the last seven College Football Playoff national championships and are home to many of the top contenders for the 2026 season. But which conference holds the financial upper hand? Recent data from IRS filings reveals that the Big Ten brought in more revenue than the SEC in the 2025 fiscal year, though the full picture is more nuanced.
The Big Ten reported $1.47 billion in revenue, while the SEC reported $1.11 billion. For individual schools, the distribution varied. For example, the Big Ten shared less revenue with Oregon and Washington as part of the financial settlement for luring them away from the Pac-12. Oregon and Washington each received just under $50 million from conference revenue, while Ohio State led the Big Ten with $91.6 million. Meanwhile, the SEC made minimal payments to Texas ($12.1 million) and Oklahoma ($2.6 million) as part of the conditions for extracting them from the Big 12. However, the other 14 SEC members each received at least $70.3 million, with Georgia topping the conference at $74.5 million.
Conference Valuation
In terms of overall valuation, The Athletic provided figures showing the SEC with a slight edge over the Big Ten. The SEC's total cumulative brand valuation was $17.3 billion, led by Texas ($2.46 billion) and Georgia ($1.95 billion). Despite having two more teams, the Big Ten's total valuation was estimated at $16.8 billion. Yet again, the picture is complicated. While the SEC may be the overall leader, Mississippi State ($248 million) and Vanderbilt ($250 million) were both valued well below the Big Ten's lowest-valued program, Rutgers ($314 million).
NIL Spending
The Athletic also provided valuations on NIL money spent by each power conference team. The NIL spending appears to lean heavily toward the SEC, with 11 of the top 20 NIL budgets in college football coming from the conference, compared to only six from the Big Ten. The average SEC program was estimated to spend between $33 and $38 million on NIL, while the average Big Ten program spent between $27 and $31 million. Of the seven programs estimated to spend $40 million or more, three were from the SEC and two were from the Big Ten, with Ohio State and Oregon joining Texas, LSU, and Texas A&M at the top.
Big Picture: SEC or Big Ten?
Ultimately, the answer to which conference is in better shape depends on the measure. The SEC might be performing slightly better on average, while the Big Ten's top teams may be outperforming even the SEC's top teams. Both conferences are faring incredibly well. As college football continues to evolve, the financial battle between these two giants will remain a central storyline.