Power Five public schools' athletics revenue fell at least $1.7 billion due to pandemic
![Portrait of Steve Berkowitz](/gcdn/-mm-/970d5f435eca8537f688321a3f2efb06f65ef3cc/c=0-100-600-700/local/-/media/2018/11/03/USATODAY/USATODAY/636768481661474145-sberkowitz.png?width=48&height=48&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the repayment terms of loans the Southeastern Conference obtained to fund a supplemental distribution to its members. Repayment to the lenders from the SEC currently is required to occur over two years – fiscal 2025 and 2026 – but the conference can request two one-year extensions, which would extend the period during which the conference would reduce planned distributions to all of the schools.
Compared to what they feared when the prospect of a 2020 football season was in doubt, many college athletics administrators at Power Five public schools are relieved with how their programs’ finances for the 2020-21 school year turned out.
But the COVID-19 pandemic still caused massive revenue declines, and the impacts will be felt for years – at some schools, for more than a decade, a USA TODAY Sports survey and analysis has found.