CLEMSON — Clemson athletics profits fell by about $11 million in fiscal 2025, according to documents obtained by The Greenville News.
In Clemson University’s latest NCAA financial report, the school’s total operating income was $198.6 million, total operating expenses were $197.7 million, and net profit was $893,714 in the fiscal year ending July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
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Clemson’s 2025 profit is down from $12 million in fiscal 2024, continuing Clemson’s two-year trend of declining profits. The school’s profits increased from $14.9 million to $21.7 million from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal 2023, but have been declining since then.
The largest portions of Clemson’s fiscal 2025 revenue are donations ($56 million), ticket sales ($39.1 million) and media rights ($31.3 million).
The school’s largest expenses are coaching salaries, benefits and bonuses ($40.4 million), support staff/administrative staff salaries, benefits and bonuses ($37.4 million) and athletic student aid ($22 million).
Here are other highlights from the NCAA report.
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Dabo Swinney Clemson’s profits drop $14 million
In 2024, coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football team went 10-4, captured the ACC Championship and returned to the College Football Playoff for the first time in three years.
That helped the football program earn $5.8 million in profit, but that was nearly $14 million less than in fiscal 2024, the report said. In 2025, Clemson football revenue will be $88.7 million, up 1.7% from last year, but expenses will be $83 million, up 22.4%.
More: Steve Spurrier warns on Dabo Swinney’s tampering accusations: ‘There are no rules’
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One reason for the fee increase is Clemson’s run into the playoffs and success there. The Clemson coach’s salary, benefits and bonuses increased by nearly $4 million after the Tigers won the conference title and reached the CFP. This has also led to rising wages.
Clemson did not lose money thanks to a $5 million guarantee the school received after facing Georgia in the Aflac Kickoff on Aug. 31, 2024, in Atlanta.
Clemson also reimbursed $7 million in postseason football expenses, an increase of more than $5 million from 2024.
Clemson baseball among sports programs to lose nearly $14 million total
Clemson athletics, in addition to football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball, also lost nearly $14 million. Revenue from these sports will drop from $21.6 million in 2024 to $13.1 million in 2025.
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More: Eric Bakich says Clemson’s Ariston Vesey will miss at least three games after arrest
One major reason is reduced contributions to other sports. Clemson received just $1 million in 2025 after receiving $9.5 million in donations the year before.
Expenses also increased from $40.5 million to $45.6 million. Clemson paid $4.08 million for “enhanced education benefits” in NCAA v. Alston and similar cases, which ruled that the NCAA’s restrictions on education-related benefits for college athletes violated antitrust laws. Clemson sports other than football and basketball contributed $3 million of the $4.08 million.
Clemson University to double profits by 2025
Clemson’s “non-program-specific” category revenue was $35.9 million, up from $16.9 million in 2024. This refers to financial data covering the entire athletic department.
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Within this segment, Clemson’s revenue will increase from $72.4 million in 2024 to $85.6 million in 2025. Growth came from donations ($48.2 million to $54.3 million), direct institutional support ($6.6 million to $13 million), media rights ($0 to $1.0 million) and conference distribution (non-media and non-football bowl) ($0 to $1.7 million).
Expenses also decreased from $55.5 million to $49.7 million. The main reason is a decrease in fundraising, marketing and promotional expenses, which will decrease from $5.5 million in 2024 to $1.9 million.
Clemson’s revenue, expenses hit all-time highs
Clemson has embraced how expensive the new college sports landscape can be. In 2018, Clemson had revenue of $133.8 million and expenses of $131.9 million. In fiscal year 2025, its profits increased by 48.4% and expenses increased by 49.9%, setting a new high.
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Clemson University made a big jump from fiscal 2022 to fiscal 2023 for the first time. In 2022, the company had revenue of $158.2 million and expenses of $143.3 million. The following year, those figures increased to $195.5 million (revenue) and $174.2 million (expense) respectively.
Two fiscal years later, Clemson surpassed both totals to rank among the top programs in the nation.
Derian Carter covers Clemson athletics for the Greenville News and USA TODAY Network. Please email DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter), @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared in The Greenville News: Clemson Football Club’s profit drops $14 million in fiscal 2025
