The Husky’s losing 2023 season won big cash
This week, I’m branching out a bit. As a husky alum, the 2023 football season hit everyone hard. The purple helmets were unbeatable until the wolverines knocked them out in the national championship. (I personally don’t follow football, but I can empathize.)
As a former UW club-sport participant, I have sat in the athletics office before begging for money. Scraps really. Only to hear that there really isn’t any money for anyone else. “UW is a football school” they would say.
So after the husky’s losing 2023 season, I thought we could open up the hood and see just how much money is flowing through the coffers on any one day within the campus’ supercharged V12 economic engine.
Lets get into it.
The Numbers
Granular financial data obtained from the University of Washington (UW) through a public records request provide new insight into revenue streams during the 2023 Husky football season.
Between August 26, 2023 and January 8, 2024 UW Athletics raked in over $26 million in private donations from individuals and corporate giving funds.
During the regular season, Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund dumped $960,200 into the athletics department. Robert J. Berg, $352,600, and Richard M. Cashin, $200,000 rounded out the top three contributors.
The postseason donation rush netted the athletic department over $15 million in private donations in 135 days. Top donors included Nordstrom heiress Elizabeth Anne Gittinger who gave $7,480,000. Roger Collins, $750,000 and the Foster Foundation, $500,000.
In at least two occasions, husky athletics topped over a million dollars in private cash donations received in a single day.
Agreements
A Pac-12 conference TV broadcast rights deal brought the athletic department $26,780,500 in revenue. A Radio, Sponsorships, Licensing, Pouring Rights, Advertisement agreement with Learfield/Huskies Sport Properties brought in $7million, not including an in-kind donation of a $150,000 box suite.
Adidas apparel agreement netted UW a $5million cash payment, in addition to $5.4 Million in in-kind product support. Pepsi donated $15,000 worth of soda, and Alaska Airlines shelled out $2.45million for naming rights for Husky Stadium.
The UW did not disclose revenue from trademarks and licensing agreements. I asked them to clarify, and if they do, I’ll update this story.
Merch Sales
Web-based licensed merchandise sales skyrocketed from the beginning of the season topping $127,123 in the month of July to selling over $2,422,739 worth of hoodies and hats in the month of December 2023. A six percent revenue sharing agreement with online retailers netted the UW athletic department $287,260 in cash for the regular season.
Husky Stadium’s brick and mortar retail locations sold $1.1Million in merchandise during the 2023 season. Revenue sharing within the physical stadium environment is set at nine percent, bringing in the UW athletic department $99,020 in cash for the regular season.
Husky Stadium food sales
Over $7 Million in fish and chips, booze and pizza was hawked at Husky Stadium during the 2023 season. Each individual concession contractor held varying commission rate agreements with the university. In total, concession sales netted the UW athletic department almost $2.25 Million in cash revenue.
Husky Stadium games totaled over $30.1 Million in ticket sales. Apple cup ticket sales topped out at over $7 Million in sales for a single game.
Miscellaneous In-Kind Gifts
28 unique gifts were made to the athletic department during the 2023 football season varying from flowers to air travel and even the donation of a deep tissue laser therapy system, valued at $85,000 for student athlete use. Each gift was donated to the school by a private individual.
