The SEC made $721.8M in revenue in 2021-22, but that's actually down from 2020-21

Like it or not, college football is a big business, and nowhere is it bigger than in the SEC. 

Need proof of that statement? Just ask SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to see his conference's books. 

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN), Sankey reported that his league made $721.8 million in total revenue for the 2021-22 fiscal year. That money is split by each member school, which means that each of the 14 SEC schools walked away with a cool $49.9 million.

Think about that for a second. Alabama is a national draw, and Georgia has gotten on that level in the Kirby Smart era. Those two programs — along with LSU and Florida — are national brands with big fanbases. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs definitely make the SEC some good money, but that $72.8 million was split not just among the top dogs in the conference but also schools like Vanderbilt and Missouri — which certainly don't have the national recognition of some of their peers.

Those are the perks of being in a big-time conference, though, and you know Vandy or Mizzou's presidents had no problem cashing those checks and will sleep just fine over it.

Per the report, the money came from revenue from television agreements, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC football championship game, the men's basketball tournament, the NCAA Championships and "supplemental surplus distribution."

Believe it or not, $721.8 million is actually down from the previous fiscal year. In 2020-21, the SEC made $764.4 million in revenue.