Alabama football reported $103.9 million in revenue for 2016

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Alabama football is a big-time money maker.

As relayed by CNN’s Ahiza Garcia on Monday, the Crimson Tide’s football program reported $103.9 million in revenue in 2016 and totaled a $47 million profit. That’s a 3.6 percent increase from the previous year.

You can see the full report here, which includes some fascinating data.

It’s no surprise that Alabama football is such a cash cow. The CNN report mentions that the Crimson Tide have netted $98 million in royalties since beginning a rich deal with Collegiate Licensing Company in 1981.

Here’s more from the report:

Merchandise revenue will also get a big boost — Alabama has a lucrative deal with Collegiate Licensing Company. It’s netted $98 million in royalties since the company was founded in 1981 by Alabama’s current athletic director, Bill Battle. Alabama was the company’s first client and is its top seller, with licensing fees skyrocketing 250% since 2005. Battle no longer runs the company.

Ticket prices for Monday night’s game hit a record high. The average resale ticket price was $3,053 as of Saturday, according to TicketIQ. The cheapest ticket to get into the game on the Alabama side was $1,794. On Clemson’s side, the cheapest tickets cost $2,600.

While these prices won’t affect 2016 profits, they’ll translate into more money for the program going forward.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Alabama is such a huge national brand. No matter the result of the national championship game against Clemson on Monday, you can make the argument that the Crimson Tide already is a big winner.

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