Intercollegiate Athletics: Revenues and Expenses, Gender and Minority Profiles, and Compensation in Athletic Departments

GAO discussed: (1) the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its member schools' revenues and expenses; (2) gender and minority profiles within member schools' athletic departments; and (3) compensation data by gender and ethnicity of staff members within athletic departments. GAO noted that: (1) through August 1991, NCAA had revenues of $152.8 million and expenses of $151.3 million, with television fees of $118.5 million as its major revenue source and the distribution of revenue to member schools of $79.2 million as its largest expense; (2) the largest NCAA member schools averaged $9.7 million in revenues and $9.6 million in expenses during fiscal year 1989; (3) men more frequently held the positions of athletic director, head football coach, and men's head basketball coach; (4) although 73 percent of the women's head basketball coach positions were held by men at historically black schools, women more often held positions as head of women's programs and women's head basketball coach at large schools; (5) average compensation for athletic department positions varied considerably at both historically black and other large schools; and (6) for those earning additional school benefits at large schools, head football coaches had the highest benefits.