FSU AD Michael Alford: Seminoles would be top 5 in revenue in SEC, Big 10

Florida State athletic director Michael Alford spoke at the university’s Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, November 14, sharing updates on the various ongoings of the Seminoles’ athletic department.

He spoke on facilities updates, sharing progress on renovations to FSU’s football, baseball, softball, volleyball, beach volleyball and track infrastructure as confirming that the football-only facility is set to break ground in December.

Most notably, though, Alford took time to share some key statistics on the financial status of the Seminoles and how the program stacks up in regard to major conferences.

According to numbers he shared, if conference distributions were removed (TV contracts, postseason payouts, etc.), FSU would rank third in the SEC in revenue generated — ahead of schools like the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers and Florida Gators.

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When comparing against Big 10 schools, Florida State ranks third, behind the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines but ahead of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Iowa Hawkeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, and others.

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“It speaks volumes to what we’re able to do with sponsorships and licensing, the contracts we’re able to negotiate, our donor support,” he said, also sharing numbers of how FSU stacks up against the average school in each conference.

And to be clear — there was no discussion on anything realignment, nothing hinted at as an ulterior motive for sharing those numbers. But in an era where programs are trying to solidify their status and brands ahead of conference consolidation, the stats gave further evidence that Florida State remains one of the most valuable brands in college athletics.