Nebraska’s 2016-2017 fiscal year athletic department revenue ranked No. 23 nationally among reporting public universities, according to a USA Today database released Thursday.
NU’s revenues of $120,205,090 ranked seventh in the Big Ten. Its expenses — $112,571,632 — ranked 24th nationally and eighth in the league. Iowa’s revenues ($130,681,467) and expenses ($128,869,211) ranked 18th and 15th nationally, respectively.
The USA Today database does not including reporting from private schools such as Notre Dame, USC and Stanford, all of whom would presumably have big budgets and revenues sources. It’s doubtful any private school could top No. 1 Texas, which took in a nation-leading $214,830,647 in revenue and spent a nation-leading $207,022,323.
Ohio State and Michigan were Nos. 3 and 4 nationally in revenue and Nos. 3 and 2 nationally in expenses. Four Big Ten schools — Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State — ranked in the nation’s top 10 in expenses. Penn State was 14th in revenue, while Wisconsin was 15th.
The Huskers’ revenue stream is likely to receive a major bump in the next fiscal, when a full share of Big Ten distribution money kicks in. According to documents obtained by The World-Herald, NU got a little more than $26 million from the league for 2016-2017. Michigan’s athletic department announced last week it received a $51.1 million distribution from the Big Ten for television agreements. Nebraska now gets the same as any full-share school.
Former Husker linebacker Andrew Ward transfers to Central Michigan
Former Nebraska linebacker Andrew Ward has transferred to Central Michigan, according to a report out of Ward’s hometown of Muskegon, Michigan.
Ward confirmed the transfer to CMU via retweet on Twitter of a report from On Muskegon, which covers athletics in the city.
Ward is one of several Huskers to transfer in the offseason between Mike Riley’s final season as coach and Scott Frost’s first season. Quarterback Patrick O’Brien left NU in spring camp and landed at Colorado State. Keyan Williams transferred to Ball State. Michael Decker retired from football.
Inside linebacker Willie Hampton and fullback Ben Miles have yet to announce their transfer destination. Offensive lineman Bryan Brokop is believed to have left the Husker program, but the team nor Brokop has officially confirmed it.
Three signees from the 2018 recruiting class — Maurice Washington, Dominick Watt and Willie Canty — remain question marks to join the 2018 team, as they have yet to arrive on campus.
