Big Ten Athletic Departments Ranked by Positive-Revenue Sports: Who's a Powerhouse and Who's Just Playing Dress-Up

​In the modern college sports arms race, victories are tallied not only on the scoreboard but in the accounting office. In the age of NIL, conference realignment, billion-dollar media deals, and soon, direct athlete revenue sharing, athletic departments that can turn multiple sports into profitable businesses aren't just winning — they're future-proofing.
 
The Big Ten now stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Still, not every school in this bloated behemoth is pulling its financial weight. Here's the definitive (and unapologetically snarky) ranking of Big Ten schools based on how many sports actually make money.
 
The Big Ten Revenue Leaders: Athletic Empires in Action
 
These schools are not just successful: they're strategic, diversified, and ruthlessly efficient. When college sports become fully professionalized, these programs will already be operating like the NFL and NBA's younger siblings.
 
1. Ohio State – 5 Positive-Revenue Sports
(Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Hockey, Women's Basketball, Men's Lacrosse)

Ohio State isn't just a school: it's a sports conglomerate. The Buckeyes are monetizing nearly everything short of badminton. With national brands in football and basketball, profitable non-revenue sports, and a rabid fan base that would watch spring game footage in July, OSU is running laps around the competition.
 
2. Michigan – 4 Positive-Revenue Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Hockey, Men's Lacrosse)

The Wolverines print money with a classic lineup of gridiron, hoops, and hockey. Add a growing lacrosse program and consistent donor investment, and Michigan continues to lead in both tradition and financial stability. It's no coincidence that they're winning titles and cashing checks at the same time.
 
3. Iowa – 4 Positive-Revenue Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Wrestling)

Iowa is the most underappreciated powerhouse in the country. They've monetized sports that most schools barely pay attention to. Caitlin Clark turned women's basketball into a rock concert with a scoreboard, and Iowa wrestling is as close to a Roman Coliseum as the NCAA allows. Unlike most schools, they aren't just cashing checks from the TV deal: they're creating new revenue streams with a cult-like fan base and world-class execution.
 
Solid and Profitable: Contenders With Financial Legs
 
These schools have healthy athletic departments built on more than one pillar. They're potent, stable, and in some cases, expanding their athletic revenue footprint.
 
4. Oregon – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball)

Nike U comes in strong. Football is the engine, men's hoops is profitable when Dana Altman has a pulse, and baseball has become a legitimate income stream in Eugene. Phil Knight's wallet doesn't hurt, but Oregon is more than branding: they're building a legitimate, multi-sport cash machine.
 
5. Penn State – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Hockey)

Steady, disciplined, and always packed. Happy Valley doesn't have the glitz, but it does have 100,000 fans and a hockey program that actually turns a profit. Basketball still has room to grow, but it's not dragging the budget down either.
 
6. Nebraska – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Volleyball)

Nebraska volleyball is the closest thing the NCAA has seen to Beatlemania in decades. Combine that with football's enduring fan obsession and a steadily competent basketball program, and Lincoln remains a profitable island in a landlocked state.
 
7. Wisconsin – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Hockey)

Wisconsin's consistency across three sports is its superpower. No one's getting rich on the Badgers' basketball team, but Camp Randall is rocking every fall, and the hockey program still draws big. Solid. Reliable. Built for stability.
 
8. Washington – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Women's Softball)

The Huskies bring Pacific Northwest polish and more substance than you'd expect. Football has surged, softball is a legitimate moneymaker, and basketball hangs in the black in most years. While not flashy, UW's portfolio is diverse and durable.
 
Hanging On
 
These are the "Big If" programs, profitable in football and two other sports, but fragile. A single bad coaching hire and the whole thing could start to wobble.
 
9. Indiana – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer)

Hoosier nostalgia and elite soccer keep Indiana in the top ten. Basketball still generates significant revenue despite mediocre results, and soccer has become a low-cost, high-yield investment. Football shows promise with a hot new coach, but Indiana needs to focus on not reverting to the mean.
 
10. Minnesota – 3 Sports (Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Hockey)

Minnesota remains an underrated three-sport program. Hockey generates significant revenue, and football has avoided financial disaster. Basketball's profitability may not be flashy, but the Gophers' overall setup makes economic sense.
 
11–15. Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Maryland, Rutgers – 2 Sports Each (Football, Men's Basketball)

This is your Big Ten middle class. Same blueprint, same limitations. They survive off football ticket sales and basketball TV money, and that's it. No volleyball fan frenzy. No hockey cult. Just football Saturdays and winter hardwood. It works… until it doesn't.
 
Dead Programs Walking: One Revenue Stream and a Lot of Prayers
 
These are the programs that don't just rely on football; they depend on it. If the head coach leaves, the whole department might end up on a GoFundMe.
 
16. Northwestern – 1 Sport (Football)
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Northwestern clings to football like a legacy hedge fund clings to tax write-offs. Nothing else turns a profit, and after recent scandals and PR disasters, even football is looking dicey. Evanston's contribution to the Big Ten is primarily academic, and that's fine. Just don't call it athletic.
 
17. UCLA – 1 Sport (Football)

The Bruins are one of the biggest athletic underachievers in the country. They win Olympic medals like candy, but the actual revenue comes from a football program that's perennially underwhelming and a basketball brand that lives in the 1970s. This is a sleeping giant, but it's been hitting snooze for years.
 
18. USC – 1 Sport (Football)

The Trojans are riding the ghost of Reggie Bush, and Lincoln Riley's offense is the only thing keeping the lights on. USC's Olympic sports are great in theory and tradition, but that tradition is buried under red ink. They're a top-five brand with bottom-five financials.
 
Why This Matters: The Future Is Ruthless
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The days of athletic departments subsidizing 25 sports on the back of one are numbered. Schools with broad-based, revenue-generating portfolios, such as Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa, are well-positioned to lead in the NIL era, also known as the player-compensation era. The inevitable transition to a "college sports becomes pro sports" era.
 
Everyone else? They'll either evolve or start asking donors for help buying track uniforms.

So if your school is living off football alone, enjoy the tailgates. Because the next evolution of college sports is here, and it only has room for programs that know how to win and get paid.