Joel Klatt compares the Big Ten and SEC

As the regular season comes to a close, teams are fighting for spots in the College Football Playoff and coaches are signing new contracts. In other words, there is a lot of conference comparison happening. 

Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt joined Colin Cowherd on Wednesday to discuss the two most successful conferences in college football: the SEC and the Big Ten. Klatt believes that while the Big Ten may not have the success on the football field that their southern counterpart has, they are coming close in one category: revenue. 

“They’re the only conference in the country that matches up with and even at times exceeds the revenue of the SEC,” Klatt said.

The Big Ten is currently in the midst of a six-year, $2.64 billion deal with Fox and ESPN, which ends in 2023. It is currently the largest TV deal in the country in annual revenue, producing $440 million per year. The SEC just signed a new 10-year deal worth $300 million annually, an agreement which will move SEC football and men’s basketball to ESPN. 

The story behind the Big Ten’s financial success? They have massive alumni bases from their 14 member institutions.

“That’s because of the footprint that they’re in, the alumni base that they have in that conference,” Klatt added. “Overall, the largest alumni base for a conference is the Big Ten. That’s why their ratings are so big when you watch Ohio State games and Michigan games. Huge, huge alumni bases, and because of that they have an enormous amount of revenue.”

Of the top 20 schools in the nation in terms of enrollment, eight of them are Big Ten schools. Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Minnesota and Rutgers all have more than 35,000 students enrolled in 2021.

For a recent example of the monetary power in the Big Ten, look no further than Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker’s new contract. The 10-year, $95 million deal was largely funded by wealthy alumni, including former MSU basketball player Mat Ishbia.

On the football field, both conferences currently have two teams that remain in playoff contention. The Big Ten has Ohio State and Michigan, while the SEC has Alabama and Georgia. The Buckeyes and Wolverines play Saturday, while Alabama and Georgia will play for the SEC title on Dec. 4.