WSU received a big boost in Pac-12 revenue

We already knew the Pac-12 was making a lot of money. That was evident when the conference expanded and signed a record-setting media rights deal. When the Pac-12 tax return was released last week, we got an idea of just how much money the conference is making.

The Pac-12 reported $334 million in total revenue for the 2012-13 fiscal year, more than the Big Ten or the SEC. Bud Withers of the Seattle Times dug into the tax filings and came out with a few interesting nuggets. The $334 million in gross revenue in nearly a 91 percent increase from 2011-12. That's largely because the deals with ESPN and Fox have both kicked in and the Pac-12 Network is up and running. Regardless of what led to the increase, that is a lot of coin.

The conference distributed more than $228 million to the members, giving WSU, the other other nine Pac-10 schools and Colorado slightly less than $20 million each in revenue. Utah received less because of the terms of their addition to the conference. Withers summarized just how big of an increase the new deal provides the Cougars:

For instance, as recently as fiscal 2010-11, WSU realized $6,765,558 from the league (TV money without revenue sharing, bowl revenue, shared NCAA-tournament money). Two years later, that total jumped up by a little more than $13 million. In other words, WSU's revenue from the league roughly tripled. (Cue up visual of athletic director Bill Moos, genuflecting at the altar of revenue-sharing.)

The Cougars could have even more money in their pockets in the future years of the deal, especially if the Pac-12 and DirecTV ever strike a deal for the cable provider to carry the Pac-12 Network.

WSU Athletics:

Numbers say it loud and clear: Pac-12 is in the chips | Pac-12 Confidential | Seattle Times
Just spent some time perusing the Pac-12′s Form 990 — its federal tax return — for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. I can’t say it’s like reading a Stephen King novel, but there’s a wealth of interesting information in the newly released filing, especially if you weigh it in the broader perspective of where the conference has come in recent years.

Football recruiting

Hilinski breaks down decision | Wazzuwatch.com ($)

"It didn't really have as much to do with Cal," Hilinski said. "It had more to do with Washington State.