College Football

Texas A&M beat Texas for No. 1 in the money rankings, but there's a catch

Good morning! This is the Read Option, your daily college football newsletter. Sign up for this in your inbox!

By Jason Kirk Apr 19, 2016, 8:56am EDT

Texas A&M has overtaken its archrival on USA Today's annual list of college athletic department revenue. Wait, does this mean the Aggies now have the biggest athletic department in the country? No, it's an accounting thing.

It was a big boost for A&M, which reported $119,475,872 in revenue the previous year, good for only 10th on the previous list.

But the answer for how revenue climbed $73,133,004 in a single season lies in a slew of donations made toward the $485 million renovation of Kyle Field. Of the school's total revenue, nearly half -- $92 million -- came through donations. And of that figure, $58.5 million was earmarked for the stadium overhaul.

With those renovations now complete, the total should drop back in line when new numbers are released next year.

The same thing happened a year ago, when Phil Knight donations pushed Oregon to No. 1, ahead of Texas.

Really, the only thing to remember when looking at USAT's list is that it's a specific way to calculate revenue and based on a single year, not some sort of long-term average.

However, we'll all be able to look back and cherish that time A&M beat Texas at the thing Texas cares about most.

CHARITY BOWL BACK. The event that led to Spencer Hall having to get a Michigan tattoo is back, and you can donate to a good cause in the name of school pride and/or rival spite.

You sensed this in the Force. While every other coach hollers about the Big Ten no longer being able to set up camps in SEC territory, Bret Bielema says he was planning camps in Big Ten country. You knew deep within your heart that our friend Bret would come out and say such a thing. It couldn't have been any other way.

Check out Dan Mullen, a new runner who up and finished the Boston Marathon with a highly respectable time. He did not do it in Yeezys, but that's fine.

Hey, remember how spring games used to be even weirder? Here's the story of Alabama playing against some alumni a while back ...

... and here's the story of Rutgers losing to alumni just 20 years ago.

Bill C team of the day: Toledo, which has been good as heck for most of a decade with basically nothing to show for it.

Penn State's new offense has creative and sensible things happening, which is a large step in the right direction.

Crootin'!

All those with DMV recruiting interests (yes, this includes you, Alabama) should observe this report from D.C.'s Nike camp.
Bama's recruiting a 5'9 scat back type, because everyone needs some lightning to mix with thunder.
One of the country's top DE recruits says he wants to be an FBI agent after football.
Commit of the Day honors go to [are you sure this is the right card] [well, ok, if you're sure] Iowa, landing a four-star RB!
The country's last remaining 2016 five-star is reportedly naming his destination on May 2.

Draft stuff!

Yeah, Urban Meyer said a thing about Cardale Jones not loving school. We don't have to make a huge thing of it.
BYU's top draft prospect is so old, he plays Mario Kart against his wife, when he's not purchasing items seen on Shark Tank.
"Joey Bosa's great-grandfather was once Al Capone's bodyguard and a Chicago crime boss."
UCLA's Myles Jack is either a potential No. 1 pick or a giant health risk, depending on who you ask.
The man Stephen White breaks down UGA's Leonard Floyd, a pass rusher good at everything but great at ... well, what?
If Ohio State had had a really good tight end all along, how would we have known? One guy says we're about to find out OSU did. (He was Ohio State's tight end.)
Derrick Henry has "more power" than any RB Sports Science has ever measured. Yeah, I'll watch that.
Robert Nkemdiche says he wants to buy a panther. So long as he provides this panther a proper habitat and social time, I think this is good.