When No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 James Madison square off Saturday in the College Football Playoff, the contrast between the programs goes far beyond uniforms and records. It is a reflection of an emerging economic divide in college football
We'll get a pretty clear picture of revenue tied to media rights, sponsorships and name, image and likeness deals. Oregon is program long embedded in the top tier of the sport and benefits from deep financial resources backed by lucrative television contracts.
Oregon’s athletic department generates among the highest revenues in the sport. According to data from The Athletic, Oregon’s total athletic revenue, including media rights distributions, bowl payouts and NCAA funds, was roughly $109.2 million in the 2023-24 academic year, ranking among the top tier of Big Ten programs.
Not to mention, a one-of-a-kind tie to Nike and company founder turned mega donor Phil Knight. The high-profile corporate relationship means dollars flowing into facilities, recruiting, coaching salaries and postseason incentives. Playoff appearances carry direct financial rewards to conferences and programs, amplifying the advantages for schools already near the top of the revenue pyramid.
By contrast, James Madison sits in the Sun Belt Conference, where estimated average athletic department revenues for member schools are a fraction of Power Four peers, often in the low-teens of millions of dollars annually. That was $15.9 million for 2023-24, according to The Athletic. Almost six and a half times less than Oregon.
JMU’s football program, while among the nation’s most successful at the Group of Six level this season, operates without the massive television contracts and corporate partnerships that support Power Four budgets.
The financial differences extend to College Football Playoff revenue as well. Under the CFP’s current distribution model, each school’s participation earns $4 million for its conference, with additional quarterly advancement bonuses going to the league pool. Oregon’s Big Ten will receive upwards of $16 million from those payouts, while the Sun Belt — with James Madison its only qualifier — receives a $4 million share, according to a Front Office Sports. Those sums are then divided under conference revenue-sharing formulas, further amplifying gaps between high-revenue and lower-revenue members.
On the field, James Madison’s success is historic and earned. Off it, the financial landscape remains tilted. Power Five programs like Oregon continue to enjoy television rights, alumni support and revenue streams that dwarf those of emerging Group of Six contenders, reinforcing an economic hierarchy that postseason play alone cannot erase.
It's in the coaching ranks, too. Oregon's Dan Lanning made $10.4 million in 2025, while JMU's Bob Chesney raked in $833,000. A whopping 12.4 times less with both programs facing each other in the postseason.
The broader revenue landscape shows why the divide persists. Power conferences capture the lion’s share of media rights and playoff distribution dollars, leaving Group of Six and smaller programs with smaller portions of the pie.
James Madison’s success this season has been remarkable on the field, but the financial realities off it illustrate how uneven the current model remains. As long as revenue continues to concentrate at the top tier, underdog programs will face steep economic headwinds to match schools like Oregon — even when they share the same postseason stage.
Oregon hosts James Madison on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).
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