NU’s FY2021 Financial Report Shows $41.5M Revenue Drop, Driven by Empty Stadium in 2020 | Soccer

The 12-month period ending June 30 means the 2021 financial year was under former sporting director Bill Moos. His successor, Trev Alberts, praised the work of Moos and his company in leading NU through the most disruptive part of the pandemic.

“I’m grateful that we did very well,” Alberts told the Journal Star on Tuesday, before the report was obtained by the Journal Star. “The reality is that there are a lot of universities that have had to take out loans; we do not have.

“You can only imagine what saved us playing Big Ten football,” Alberts said of the shortened, fanless 2020 season. “We didn’t have box office revenue, but at least we got 80% of the money from TV, which was essential for all of us. We got through it, and I give credit to the old leaders.

Indeed, NU grossed nearly $36 million in media rights, with the dominant share going to football. That number is lower than the $43.9 million reported for fiscal year 2020, but still represents 39% of the department’s revenue for the year. The department also reported $18.8 million in revenue from royalties, licensing, advertising and sponsorships, a significant figure but well below the $27.6 million reported a year ago.

Part of the way the department covered the drop in revenue was by relying more on contributions and dipping into its large reserve. For fiscal year 2021, the department reported $22.7 million in private contributions, about triple what it reported the previous year. This number does not necessarily represent the total of all private donations, but rather the amount of private contributions the department used in its operations during the fiscal year.