How much money does an athletic director make? Inside the financials of NCAA Division I ADs
The position of athletic director at an NCAA Division I university can be very rewarding. Some athletic directors bring in millions of dollars annually. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish recently named Pete Bevacqua the 13th athletic director in program history.
"NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua '93 has been named Special Assistant to the President for Athletics. He will assume the position of University Vice President & James E. Rohr Director of Athletics upon Jack Swarbrick's '76 departure in 2024," Notre Dame tweeted.
Check out the tweet from the University of Notre Dame below.
While the terms of Bevacqua's salary are unclear (and are not subject to public information requests because Notre Dame is a private institution), he will likely be among the nation's highest paid athletic directors considering that he is leaving a role as the chairman of NBC Sports.
Take a look at the highest-paid athletic directors in college sports below.
Which athletic director gets paid the most?
Texas Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte is the highest-paid AD in the nation, making nearly $2.5 million. He is followed by Ray Anderson of the Arizona State Sun Devils and Joe Castiglione of the Oklahoma Sooners as both earn over $2 million per year. Kirby Hocutt of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Gene Smith of the Ohio State Buckeyes round out the top five, bringing in over $1.8 million each.
How much does an average NCAA Division I athletic director get paid?
The average NCAA Division I athletic director makes over $600,000 per year. Power Five athletic directors make an average of close to $900,000 per year, while Group of Five athletic directors make an average of over $300,000 per year. Atlantic Coast Conference athletic directors bring in the most of any conference as they average over $1 million per year in salary.
What is the average age of an NCAA Division I athletic director?
The average NCAA Divsion I athletic director is 54 years old.
Power Five athletic directors are 56 years old on average, while Group of Five athletic directors are 51 years old on average. Power Five athletic directors are hired at the age of 50 on average, while Group of Five athletic directors are hired at the age of 45 on average. ACC and Southeastern Athletic Conference athletic directors are the eldest, at an average of 57 years old.
What degrees do most athletic directors have?
Most athletic directors have a master's degree in sports management. Other degrees that focus on education and athletics are also common in the field.