NORMAN — OU’s athletic department’s operating revenues were just more than $300,000 more than its expenses, according to the department’s annual athletic revenue and expense summary sent to the NCAA, which was obtained by The Oklahoman.

The report is for the 2023 fiscal year — July 2022 through June 2023.

After seven consecutive years with a surplus of more than $10 million, the department has posted five consecutive years with an operating surplus below $5.2 million.

OU’s athletic department remains one of the few nationally that operates without receiving institutional support or student fees.

There was some indirect institutional support in the 2021 fiscal year — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — but otherwise, the program has reported no allocated revenue from the school since 2008.

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OU athletics reported $199M in revenue for 2023 fiscal year

The program’s total operating revenues for the fiscal year were $199,295,570.

Notable revenue items included more than $48 million in ticket sales, $60.7 million in contributions, more than $27.1 million in media rights, and more than $23.4 million in royalties, licensing, advertisement and sponsorships.

The Sooners received nearly $11.8 million in conference distribution of football bowl-generated revenue.

Expenses included nearly $18.9 million in athletic student aid, $35.8 million in coaching salaries and benefits, nearly $11.5 million in team travel and more than $5.6 million in recruiting spending.

After the program’s “direct overhead and administrative costs” ballooned in 2022, they grew by more than $4 million last year to $46.3 million. They were $42.1 million in 2022 after being $28.4 million in the 2021 fiscal year.

Support staff pay continued to grow to $29.3 million after being $24.8 last year.

Operating expenses totaled $198,975,224 after being nearly $176 million in 2022.

Still, the department reported more than $6.5 million in “excess transfer” to the institution, its biggest number ever.

It reported $186.5 million in total athletics-related debt — down more than $5 million from 2022 — with nearly $15 million in “athletically-related facilities annual debt service.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU Sooners' athletic department continues streak of operating surplus