Report: Gators’ Value Climbs to $1.16B Despite Losing Record
Florida was ranked the 12th most valuable college football program by The Athletic.
The Athletic put a theoretical price tag on every Power 4 football program, estimating what each would sell for on the open market. The list ranked every Power 4 team based on value if sold.
The Gators were estimated to be worth $1.16 billion, up from $1.08 billion a year ago. Despite a 37-38 record since 2020 and a coaching change, Florida was still able to finish in the top 12 of the evaluation and grow its valuation year over year. The ranking comes right after Florida unveiled plans for an estimated $1.46 billion renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the most expensive in college football history.
Florida was the highest-ranked team in the state. Despite Miami playing for a national championship last year, the Hurricanes ranked 18th as the first school on the list not valued over a billion dollars. Instead, Miami is valued at $950 million.
The Gators also sat higher than rival Florida State, who came in 20th on the list, valued at $819 million.
They finished with a higher evaluation than Big Ten powerhouse Oregon, who ranked 13th, and SEC foes Auburn (14th, $1.11 billion) and Texas A&M (17th, $1.05 billion).
SEC rival LSU, who was valued at $1.32 billion, finished 11th right above the Gators.
Four programs topped a $2 billion evaluation – Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan – and 17 schools in total were valued above $1 billion. Texas led the entire field at $2.46 billion.
To come up with their rankings, The Athletic used three-year revenue averages from NCAA financial reports and Department of Education records, plus school-reported data for private universities. The SEC and Big Ten were treated like NFL and NBA franchises, given their higher revenue and visibility, with The Athletic multiplying their teams’ revenues five to 13 times. Big 12 and ACC teams, viewed as more comparable to MLB and NHL organizations, were multiplied four to 10 times. It did not include assets such as real estate or debt.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Football
