Cincinnati.com: Big 12 money will impact UC athletic revenue, reach
Joining the Power Five conference means a much bigger piece of the collegiate athletics revenue pie
UC celebrated joining the Big 12 on July 1, a move that will see a dramatic increase in both revenue and media exposure. Cincinnati.com published a story about the news, reporting that by making the College Football Playoff in 2021, UC earned $6 million to be distributed by the AAC to member teams. The ESPN media deal which began in 2020 earned a little less than $7 million per school. That's all about to take a Big 12 leap.
Completed last fall by Commissioner Brett Yormark prior to the agreed-upon negotiating window, the Big 12 added a six-year extension for $2.28 billion which runs through 2030-31. The deal with ESPN and Fox has an annual average of $380 million per year and is projected to pay each school $31.7 million. Translated, UC has quadrupled what they were earning in the AAC, Cincinnati.com reported.
“There’s a lot of momentum with the commissioner Brett Yormark and everything the Big 12’s doing,” UC AD John Cunningham said. “We’re in a great spot.”
The story went on to say football coach Scott Satterfield's crew just had a huge recruiting weekend and top-notch players continue to visit and/or commit. Earlier this summer, UC's 2024 class was rated higher than any of the other Big 12 schools though they hadn't yet played a game at Nippert Stadium in the new league.
“It’s a lot of talk for media people and fans and that type of thing,” Satterfield said. “If you’re not picked high, you’ve got to go out there and prove it. As a coach, you have to prove it anyway. I think we’re putting together a football team that’s going to be very competitive to go out there and compete in the Big 12.”
Read more about new UC football coach Scott Satterfield here.
Tags
Related Stories
6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions
May 20, 2026
When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Pocket-sized population threat
May 18, 2026
The Financial Times took a deep dive into why populations around the world continue to be on the decline. The publication cited new University of Cincinnati research as part of the investigation that looks at the fall of fertility in the digital era.
Colorado silica dust trial could change the way industry does business
May 17, 2026
Betsy Malloy, Andrew Katsanis Professor of Law, at the University of Cincinnati, spoke with Bloomberg Law about how a Colorado trial could change the way the stone fabrication industry does business.