ACC Revenue Shift Will Reward Schools That Win More

Top ACC schools are hopeful that a newly approved revenue distribution model will help them keep pace with counterparts in the much richer SEC and Big Ten conferences.

Beginning in Fall 2024, schools qualifying for revenue-generating postseason competitions — like the College Football Playoff, other bowl games, and March Madness — will receive more of the ACC’s postseason payouts.

The conference currently shares its money equally and will continue to do so for all other revenue. Last year, the ACC generated $617 million in revenue, compared with the SEC’s $802 million and the Big Ten’s $845.6 million.

The shift was important for football powerhouses like Clemson and Florida State as well as basketball heavyweights North Carolina and Duke — especially as the CFP expands to 12 teams in the 2024-25 season and offers even more revenue. 

This season, the CFP will pay conferences $6 million for a team making a semifinal game and $4 million for a non-playoff New Year’s Six matchup. 

While no ACC team made the CFP last year, Clemson made the Orange Bowl (a New Year’s Six game), while Pitt, NC State, and FSU appeared in bowl games that paid the conference nearly $8 million total. However, schools like Boston College received an equal portion of that money despite finishing 3-9.

Miami’s run to this year’s Final Four helped earn the ACC about $24 million, but the Hurricanes will earn the same amount as Louisville, which missed postseason play with a 2-18 conference record.