New GAO Report Examines How Student Aid Finances College Athletics
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examines how college athletic programs rely on institutional financial support, including student tuition and fees, to fund athletic programs.
This report was requested by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education & Workforce Committee, to examine whether spending on college athletics was driving up costs for students and taxpayers.
For this report, GAO reviewed data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) membership financial database for academic years 2014-2015, 2018-2019, and 2023-2024. GAO noted that it also obtained aggregated data that included financial data for all NCAA member Division I (DI) and Division II (DII) athletics programs, which included both public and private colleges.
GAO listed several key takeaways, including that during the 2023-2024 academic year DI programs spent a total of $20.8 billion on athletics, but reported generating $13.1 billion in revenue through selling media rights to broadcasts, ticket sales, and donations.
Specifically, GAO found that during the 2023-24 academic year, 94% of DI programs – 330 of 352 – spent more money than they brought in from athletics. The majority of DI colleges spent $11 million to $32.3 million more than they generated in revenue, with the median gap in funding of $20.6 million.
Looking at the past 10 years, median spending on athletic programs grew by 81% for Power conference schools, while revenue grew by just 56%. GAO noted that the biggest increases in athletic spending were on coaching salaries and support staff pay.
To cover these funding gaps, GAO found that institutions provided $7.2 billion in financial support during the 2023-24 academic year. GAO noted that this financial support is funded by
tuition and fees paid by students, as well as other unrestricted funds from the institution. This funding can also include indirect contributions, including federal student aid that these students use to pay their tuition and fees.
For the 2023-24 academic year, GAO found that 87% of non-Power colleges used student fees to partially fund their athletics programs. That’s compared to 64% of Championship colleges, 55% of Basketball colleges, and 48% of Power colleges.
GAO estimated that during the 2023-24 academic year, the median contribution per undergraduate student was about $3,200 for athletics subsidies at Power conference schools, and roughly $11,000 at smaller DI colleges. However, GAO noted that these amounts are illustrative estimates and “do not reflect actual student payments to athletics programs.”
Walberg responded to the report, calling on institutions to invest in “student success” and “not asking students and taxpayers to subsidize an athletic spending arms race.”
“Students enroll to earn a degree, not to bankroll excessive athletic spending,” Walberg said in a statement. “This report reinforces why Congress must continue holding colleges accountable for how they spend tuition dollars and federal student aid. Institutions should focus on delivering value to students—not passing the costs of excessive athletics spending on to students, families, and taxpayers.”
Publication Date: 8/19/2026
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