College football bowl game payouts increase, top $500 million

Bowl game payouts are up. Big time.

An NCAA report to be released on Tuesday reveals that FBS bowl game payouts for the 2014-15 season totaled over $500 million, according to the Associated Press.

The 39 postseason bowl games paid out more than half a billion dollars to participating conferences and schools, up nearly $200 million from 2013-14, prior to the incorporation of the College Football Playoff.

Last season, schools paid $100.2 million in total to participate, with $505.9 million being paid back out. In 2013-14, schools paid $97.8 million, with $309.9 million coming back in payouts, comparatively.

According to the AP, the major uptick in value can be attributed largely to increasingly valuable media deals surrounding the playoff.

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