ACC distributed record $45 million per school in '23-24 - ESPN

The Atlantic Coast Conference generated $711 million for the 2023-24 academic year, according to new tax documents released by the league, distributing an average of $45 million to each of its 14 full-time member schools, a new record for the conference.

The financial reports, which cover the final year of ACC athletics prior to the additions of SMU, Stanford and Cal, shows a small uptick in revenue year-over-year and a roughly 56% increase in revenues from five years ago.

While the revenue distribution puts the ACC solidly in third place among conferences, it still trails the SEC and Big Ten by a sizable margin. Those relative deficits have remained a source of consternation for members and resulted in lawsuits filed by Florida State (in December 2023) and Clemson (in February 2024) to challenge the ACC's grant of rights, which binds the league together through June of 2036. The framework of a settlement of those lawsuits was reached earlier this year, however, as the conference conceded to a new revenue distribution model that would prioritize the biggest brands.

Commissioner Jim Phillips said at this week's annual spring meetings, he believed the agreement would provide stability for the ACC for at least the next three to four years.

«I just think you've got to settle down,» Phillips said. «I think college athletics needs to settle down, not just the ACC. I think we've positioned ourselves for that. The chaos and constant wondering of what's happening here or there, that distracts from the business at hand. I feel good about where we're at, and while I do take things one day at a time, I think there's a period of time where, let's settle in and get things done.»

After Florida State pushed for changes to the