Ole Miss Athletics is set to reach $200 million in revenue and expenses in 2027 for the first time in school history. It also set a new fundraising record in the 2025-26 fiscal year with $107.9 million raised and brought in a new on-field sponsor.
“We’re about to project our budget for the (2027) fiscal year, and we’ll go over $200 million for the first time,” Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter said. “If you look back at Ole Miss 15-20 years ago, when we were at $40 or $50 million, you would have never thought that this day would happen.”
Last year, the department made $178.6 million and spent $183.7 million. Football led the way with nearly $29 million in revenue, while baseball was the only other sport to generate a profit at just over $1 million.
In 2023, Ole Miss Athletics made $142.1 million, which ranked No. 13 in the SEC. It also spent $150.1 million that year.
On July 23, the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation (OMAF) announced that it had nearly doubled the previous fundraising record of $55.4 million. The Vaught Society, a fundraising organization for the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, donated $65 million.
“This milestone reflects the incredible passion and commitment of Rebel Nation, which is helping drive the continued success and momentum of Ole Miss athletics,” Denson Hollis, the foundation’s CEO, said in a press release.
Additionally, athletics and Progressive Insurance agreed to a deal that includes an on-field branding sponsorship. The Progressive logo will be displayed on Hollingsworth Field. Progressive agreed to deals with 13 universities. Two are from the SEC: Ole Miss and Georgia.
While reaching $200 million is a significant milestone for Ole Miss, there is still much work to be done to compete with other programs around the conference.
“It’s relative compared to Texas because they’re (generating) over $400 million,” Carter said. “Even within our league, we still need to be efficient. We still need to do things the right way and make dollars stretch, so we’ll continue to do that.”
This achievement comes in the middle of an interesting time for college athletics. With new eligibility requirements, a potential SEC breakaway from the NCAA and congressional legislation for college sports on the horizon, there are many unknowns for the future.
“As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, it’s imperative that we remain innovative and relentless in growing our resources,” Carter said in a press release. “The determination and passion of Rebel Nation has allowed us to thrive in this climate and make for a bright future at Ole Miss.”
Nearly all Ole Miss programs have flourished in recent years. Dating back to 2022, the Rebels have won a national championship in baseball, two New Year’s Six Bowls, an individual championship in men’s golf and several other individual championships. Additionally, the Ole Miss Softball program advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history.
“I’m incredibly proud of our OMAF staff, whose hard work and dedication made this achievement possible,” Hollis said. “Most importantly, this is a celebration of our entire athletics department. Our student-athletes, coaches, administration and staff all played a critical role in inspiring the tremendous investment that continues to move Ole Miss athletics forward.”
Notably, the $107.9 million in fundraising does not include name, image and likeness contributions.
