Most Valuable College Athletic Programs: Oregon Ducks Worth $780 Million, SEC Dominates

The Oregon Ducks athletic program is worth $780 million. The most valuable athletic programs are dominated by SEC schools and Big Ten Conference schools. The Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide are the top-5 most valuable.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight attends the Texas Tech-Oregon nonconference football game Sept. 9, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight attends the Texas Tech-Oregon nonconference football game Sept. 9, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium. / Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to a report from CNBC, the Oregon Ducks ranks as the No. 17 valuable college athletic program in the country. The rankings exclude military academies and only included schools within the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision or FBS.

Joining the Big Ten Conference this season, Oregon was valued at $780 million with a $151 million revenue.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Here are the Top Ten programs on the list:

No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes - $1.32 billion valuation, $271 million revenue

No. 2 Texas Longhorns - $1.28 billion valuation, $280 million revenue

No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies - $1.26 billion valuation, $279 million revenue

No. 4 Michigan Wolverines - $1.06 billion valuation, $230 million revenue

No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide - $978 million valuation, $200 million revenue

No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - $969 million valuation, $224 million revenue

No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs - $950 million valuation, $210 million revenue

No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers - $943 million valuation, $205 million revenue

No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers - $940 million valuation, $202 million revenue

No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners - $928 million valuation, $199 million revenue

The Southeastern Conference is worth roughly the most out of all the power conferences at $13.3 billion, an average of about $832 million per school. The Big Ten is next at about $13.2 billion, an average of approximately $734 million per school. In the Top 75 athletic programs listed, every one of the sixteen SEC schools are listed and every one of the eighteen Big Ten schools are listed. This is in part to the massive media rights deals for the SEC and Big Ten.

The list is created on the revenue base multiple of four for all institutions and then adjusted by each school's conference affiliation, estimated NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) spend, school subsidies, and number of alumni.

Phil Knight looks around the newly expanded Autzen Stadium during a visit to the last intersquad scrimmage
Phil Knight looks around the newly expanded Autzen Stadium during a visit to the last intersquad scrimmage Friday August 23, 2002 (CHRIS PIETSCH/The Register-Guard) / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to Grant Hughes of 247 Sports, Oregon's estimated NIL valuation is around a $23 million budget. On3 listed Oregon's Division Street as the No. 4 top NIL collective in all of college athletics. Nike co-founder and Ducks’ booster Phil Knight is the co-founder of the group.

Oregon offers a variety of subsidies, including federal direct loans, textbook and and course materials, federal grant programs, childcare, PhD programs, presidential scholarships. The university has over 269,000 living alumni.

Coach Dan Lanning had made it clear that without the generosity of Knight and all the funding, Oregon's college football program would not be where it is has ascended to today.

“There’s not a top-10 program in the nation that’s not funded and in a good position to compete, or they wouldn’t be a top-10 program."

Oregon coach Dan Lanning

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Arden Cravalho
ARDEN CRAVALHO

Arden Cravalho has been covering Oregon football and basketball for Sports Illustrated's Oregon site since June 2024. Arden has been writing extensively about college athletics beginning in 2018. His other work can be seen on "The Slipper Still Fits" at SB Nation. Arden is a graduate of Gonzaga University and brings a deep understanding of college sports to his writing. Residing in San Francisco, CA, Arden continues to follow his passion for college sports with a focus on the Ducks. His experience and dedication to covering Oregon's athletic programs are evident in his insightful articles and analysis