Survey: U-M second nationally in athletic donations

Football usually is the driving force behind athletic department donations.

Yet, even in a disappointing football season in which Michigan finished 5-7, the school still raked in big dollars in 2014.

According to a survey by the Council for Aid to Education (cae.org), in which 378 schools responded about their athletic giving, U-M's athletic department was second in donations, at $54.6 million, trailing only Texas A&M ($93.6 million). Michigan led in the number of gifts, with 24,730, ahead of Washington (23,831).

The data, first reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, was supplied to the Free Press by the CAE. Schools were given the option to respond to donation totals and number of donations separately.

Michigan's total has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. U-M drew only $6 million in athletic department donations in 2004, a number that jumped to $15.2 million in 2005. There were significant jumps in 2008 (up $7 million, to $21.1), 2011 (up $7 million, to $31 million), 2013 (up $8 million, to $41 million) and 2014 (up $13.5 million, to the current $54.6 million).

Kansas State ($44.78 million), Arizona ($44.2) and Texas ($41.4) round out the Top 5. Other Big Ten schools listed were No. 9 Wisconsin ($32.6), No. 13 Iowa ($28.9), No. 16 Illinois ($26.6), No. 19 Nebraska ($24.3), No. 25 Purdue ($17.5), No. 27 Rutgers ($13.8) and No. 32 Maryland ($12.5).

Michigan State did not respond to the survey, but a school spokesman today said the university brought in $48,952,334 in athletic donations.

In terms of total giving to a university, among the 1,053 schools surveyed, Michigan ranked 16th ($432.6 million). MSU had $117.6 million.

Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder.