Why Football Looms So Large

This article is a really interesting look into the financial engine behind the ACC, and the findings are eye-opening. Even in one of the nation’s most basketball-centric conferences, it’s football that pays nearly all the bills. The piece is a reminder of just how much the economics of college sports have shifted, and how those changes ripple through every athletic department.

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article312660669.html

Even in a conference like the ACC—long known for its basketball tradition—football is what keeps the lights on. According to The News & Observer, football now generates roughly 75% of all athletic revenue across the league. That’s not a typo. The same conference that gave us Michael Jordan, Coach K, and the Tobacco Road rivalries is being reshaped by the financial power of Saturday afternoons.

This reality explains why so many athletic departments are structured around football. Every other sport—from baseball to volleyball to golf—depends, directly or indirectly, on the success of the football program. The TV contracts, ticket sales, and sponsorship dollars that flow through football help fund scholarships, facilities, and operations across the board. And as football revenue continues to grow, it pulls even more institutional attention and resources with it.

For counselors and families working with student-athletes, that dynamic is worth understanding. Football’s dominance isn’t about favoritism—it’s about economics. Unless the NCAA’s structure changes dramatically, this trend will only intensify. Football will continue to shape budgets, conference realignments, and even which sports schools can afford to offer.