The University of Texas, renowned for its academic excellence and substantial financial resources, allocates a budget of nearly $44 billion across its various institutions.
This places the UT System in second place among elite universities like Harvard University, when you compare public and private schools. Notably, the UT System ranks first in public funding, with a gap of nearly $20 billion compared to the second-ranked Texas A&M system.
Texas flagship UT Austin Athletics program with it’s significant presence, is valued at $1.28 billion according to CNBC. This figure places it behind the Ohio State Buckeyes by $6 million and ahead of the Texas A&M Aggies by nearly $2 million. Texas is No. 1 in the State and No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference by valuation.
Texas Athletics has demonstrated remarkable fundraising abilities. In the final year of the Big 12 Longhorn Foundation donors, they set a new record by raising an astonishing $200 million in donations. During the 2023-24 school year, a record-breaking 24,996 Longhorn Foundation donors contributed almost $200 million in cash and pledges to Texas Athletics. This remarkable total surpasses any previous record set by the athletic department. $74.4 million of these donations were allocated to the Longhorn Foundation annual fund, marking the highest contribution since the Foundation’s inception in 1986.
The university’s athletic department reported an unprecedented NCAA record of $271 million in operating revenue during its 2023 fiscal year, as reported by USA TODAY. This figure surpasses the previous record of $251.6 million set by Ohio State in 2022 and represents a significant increase of nearly $32 million compared to the school’s revenue in 2022.
For our neighbors in College Station, despite their valuation being quite high at $1.26 billion, they recently made history by buying out their former head football coach, Jimbo Fisher, for a staggering $76 million. This monumental buyout surpasses all previous records in the sports industry. For context, the Texas Longhorns had previously paid Tom Herman a $15.4 million buyout to terminate his contract for the final three years. Moreover, the school also contributed an additional $9 million to his assistants, resulting in a total of $24 million spent across the football program for buyouts.
