Quantifying The Chasm: Exploring The Impact Of The BCS On Total Football Revenues For Division One Football Programs From 2002-2012

Abstract

The Bowl Championship Series served as a collection of bowl games that were designed to crown the national champion in Division One football. The BCS created two classifications of institutions in Division football, those that were granted automatic access (AQ) to the post-season games, and those that were not (non-AQ). The BCS also generated billions of dollars for participating schools. This study examines the financial impact of the BCS on total revenue reported by member institutions, from 2002 to 2012. It further seeks to quantify the impact of inclusion in a BCS AQ conference on the distribution of the more than $24 billion in revenue. This study concludes that membership in a BCS AQ conference accounts for nearly 40% of the variance in total football revenue, and can provide these AQ schools with more than an $18 million dollar advantage over their non-AQ peers. This study explores both the reasons for and the impact of these differences on Division One football institutions.