MLive.com files

True or false: Football is the big money college sport.

There's definitely big money involved. We see evidence everywhere: Television. Swag. Hype. And it all mirrors the situation in the NFL, for which 128 U.S. colleges may seem to operate NCAA Division I football farm teams.

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MLive.com files

Answer: False.

In the world of college sports, money tends to flow one way: Out of the college athletic budget. That's not true for all U.S. schools, but according to self-reported NCAA records, very few colleges run self-sustaining athletic programs.

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MLive.com files

But football has to make money, right?

It's usually the biggest sport at a public university, and it's the one - along with men's basketball - that typically sells the most tickets. The stadium may be a place of campus pride; "going to a game" for students and alumni normally means football. And most recruiting efforts and dollars are spent here, too. So even if schools lose money on sports, you might ask, what would that have to do with football?

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NCAA website

Let's find out.

U.S. colleges self-report their athletics financials to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which exists to support 460,000 student athletes across the country. NCAA members vote on regulations to support athletes' well-being, setting standards used in college athletics.

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MLive.com

MLive.com obtained the 2015 NCAA filings from Michigan's public universities.

The nonprofit NCAA is not a public body. But this state's public colleges provided copies of their forms after we filed requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Data in this story comes from those self-reported forms; related coverage shows that Michigan colleges are using significant institutional money to subsidize athletics.

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MLive.com files

Here are the budget gains (or losses) per school for football.

The numbers are based on the "bottom line" of the NCAA report that looks at the so-called revenue sports; most are from the statement of revenue and expenses following the official report. The rest use numbers provided for operating revenues and losses by sport. Feeding the number are measurables (like ticket sales) and estimates (like indirect fees charged to the specific sport). And the NCAA doesn't use the term "loss." Going into the red on these forms is a "deficiency." Sometimes, that number is after a college spent a multi-million subsidy for the sport. Lastly, they're in order of most "profit" to most "loss."

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Two colleges ran football programs that covered costs.

Both show a very small subsidy, based on NCAA accounting guidelines. But beyond that, both schools have football programs where revenue exceeds cost.

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MLive.com files

1. U-M: $56.36 million profit

The Wolverines posted total football operating expenses of just under $32 million, compared to football revenue of $88.2 million. The difference in those numbers helped support other sports – and make U-M one of the rare “self-supporting” football programs and college sports programs. The biggest slice of football revenue: ticket sales, at $39.5M. And the largest football expense was the $6.586M head coach salary (U-M spends $4.9M on student aid for football players). Overall, the school spent $263,345 in subsidies, including $7,144 in direct subsidy.

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MLive.com files

More on the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

U-M runs the fourth largest college athletics program in the U.S., both by revenue and expenses. It's behind Texas A&M, Texas and Ohio State - and posted revenue of $152.4 million in 2014. During that time, enrollment was 43,625.

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Mlive.com files

2. Michigan State: $29.8 million profit

The Spartans’ football program ended up with $29.8 million in excess funds, thanks in part to $19.1 million in ticket sales – the largest revenue category, just ahead of media rights and contributions, which each pulled in $18 million. The largest expense category: Coaching salaries, benefits and bonuses, $8.4 million. MSU's overall athletics subsidy was $702,284, all indirect expenses attributed to the athletics department.

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MLive.com files

More on MSU in East Lansing

MSU football is one of two Big Ten universities in Michigan and the second largest, by revenue - which in its 2014 budget was $108.6 million. Football accounts for a lot of that, but its men's basketball program also has a national presence. Enrollment in 2014 was 50,081.

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Nine colleges run football program that do not make money.

Some come close, on paper, but those come with large direct subsidies. Here are the nine schools, ranked from smallest "loss" to largest.

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MLive.com files

9. Grand Valley: $344,728 'profit' (after covering $2.05 million in expenses)

GVSU football ended its season with $344,728 in excess funds over expenses, but the school contributed $2.05 million in direct subsidy to the football program. Its biggest expense category was student aid for football players, which totaled $902,122.

Overall, GVSU spent $12,198,807 to subsidize athletics.

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GVSU website

More on Grand Valley State University in Allendale

Lubbers Stadium, with a capacity of 10,444, has led the nation in NCAA Division II attendance for each of the past four years. This year, it will get a new scoreboard - one sign of success at the college, which embodies the "life in balance" philosophy of DII for its 20 sports. The school has grown over a decade, reaching 25,094 in 2014.

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Wayne State website

8. Wayne State: 'Made' $76,000 (after $1.77 million school subsidy)

Operating revenue for football was $2.13 million, thanks in part to about $1.77 million in direct institutional support. Expenses totaled about $2.05 million. The largest expense category was student aid to football players; it totaled $803,000. Overall, Wayne State subsidized its athletics program with $12,147,670.

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WSU website

More about Wayne State University in Detroit

Wayne State runs an athletic program that reached almost $14 million in revenue in 2014. The Warriors play in the GLIAC league of NCAA Division II. Wayne State had 27,578 students in 2014, making it the third-largest university in Michigan.

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From Ferris State website

7. Ferris State: $42,973 profit (after $1.2 million subsidy)

The football team at Ferris ended the season with $42,973 in excess revenue booked to the program. The top expense: about $590,000 in student aid. Of $1.4 million in revenue, about $1.2 million came in direct aid from the school. Ferris state's overall athletics subsidy was $5,887,118.

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Ferris State website

More on Ferris State University in Big Rapids

Ferris State runs several successful programs: The college captured league titles in football, volleyball, men's basketball, hockey and men's tennis in 2015-16. It plays NCAA Division II sports, except for ice hockey - that's Division I. The school had about 14,600 students enrolled in 2014.

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Mlive.com files

6. Michigan Tech: $8,258 profit (after $1.4 million school subsidy)

Michigan Tech’s football team finished the season $8,258 in the black – thanks to $1.4 million in direct contributions from the school. It’s top expense was student aid to football players, who got a total of $993,905 that season toward their tuition. Michigan Tech's full athletics subsidy was $6,950,991.

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Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com

More on Michigan Technological University in Houghton

The Huskies play NCAA Division II, except its hockey team - like at both Ferris and Lake State - plays Division I. The football program was eliminated in 2003, but alumni rallied to fund-raise and restore it so the team could play the following season. Its enrollment is about 6,500.

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Junfu Han

5. Eastern Michigan: $1 loss (after $3.87M direct subsidy)

EMU spent $7.95 million on football, but recorded revenue within $1 of that – thanks to $3.87 million in direct support for football. Its biggest expense category was student aid for football players; that totaled $2.23 million. Overall, EMU spent $27,309,988 to subsidize athletics, according to NCAA filings. The school says it overestimated indirect costs, and expects that number to drop in future reports.

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From EMU athletics

More on Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti

EMU's Eagles are part of a $33.9 million athletic program, according to NCAA filings. Its football attendance struggles to reach an average of 5,000 fans per game. The athletics department intensified its marketing campaign starting in 2014, when it added a new gray artificial turf field and nicknamed Rynearson Stadium "The Factory" among moves to increase interest and alumni donations. The school had an enrollment of about 22,401 in 2014.

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MLive.com files

4. Northern: $42,758 loss (after $1.5 million subsidy)

NMU’s football budget recorded a deficit of $42,758. The largest revenue boost was $1.5 million in direct support; its largest expense was $703,205 in student aid for football players. Northern spent $8,269,627 in overall athletics subsidies.

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MLive.com files

More on Northern Michigan University in Marquette

The Wildcats play NCAA Division II, except for hockey, which is Division I. The school has about 8,000 students, and it's one of three colleges in Michigan that charge a student athletic fee. For the coming year, all new students pay a one-time charge of $246 towards athletics. Sports alumni include Lloyd Carr, former U-M head football coach, and Tom Izzo, MSU basketball coach.

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MLive.com files

3. SVSU: $57,538 loss (after $1.36 million school subsidy)

SVSU’s football team produced a $57,538 deficit in the 2015 reports. Direct institutional support accounted for $1.36M of the $1.5 million revenue; football player student aid accounted for the top expense, totaling $675,000. Overall, SVSU subsidized athletics with $6,803,520 in contributions.

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SVSU website

More about Saginaw Valley State University

Saginaw Valley had about 9,800 students in 2014, and about 468 of them were varsity athletes on one of 17 sports offered at the school. Students pay a $199 annual athletic pass fee.

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MLive.com file photo

2. Central Michigan: $4.56 million loss

CMU spent about $6.61 million on football, but generated revenue of about $2.2 million. That leaves a deficiency of $4.56 million. The top revenue category was ticket sales ($507,000); the top expense was coaching salaries ($1.9M). Central's overall athletics subsides totaled $19,408,633.

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From CMU's website

More on Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant

CMU runs a $27.8 million athletic program. Its athletes play in the Mid-American Conference of NCAA Division I, along with Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan. CMU averaged 15,065 fans per home football game last season, and it tries to make it fun - one example is the "Tailgate Village" that opens a few hours before every home game.

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MLive.com files

1. Western Michigan: Lost $5.27 million - the most in the state

WMU reported that football generated $5.27 million in deficiencies, with $8 million in expenses and $2.8 million in operating revenue. The largest revenue category was guarantees, at $1.22 million; the largest expense category was student aid for football players, at $2.79 million. NCAA “guarantee” revenue comes from what is called “paycheck games,” when teams pay smaller opponents to play them. Overall, Western said it subsidized athletics with $25,839,878 in funding.

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WMU website

More about Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo

Western's Broncos are the third MAC conference school in the state, along with EMU and CMU. The school's athletic program had $34.7 million in revenue in 2014, when it enrolled almost 24,000 students.

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OU website

These universities aren't on the list:

• Oakland University, whose Golden Grizzlies play in the Horizon League, which includes NCAA DI schools that do not compete in football. The campus has about 20,000 students. In 2005, Oakland spent $5.9 million on athletics. Last year, that figured jumped to $14 million. Over the same time period, Oakland’s subsidy to athletics rose from $4.6 million to $11.4 million.

• Lake Superior State University: It also has no football. Men’s ice hockey is its most expensive sport, with expenses of $1.39 million – and a deficit of about $132,000. Top expense category: Student aid, at $400,000. The top revenue category was institutional support, which totaled $726,483. "Lake State" is Michigan's smallest public university, with just over 2,000 students. It's also one of three that charges students a fee for athletics. In 2016-17, the fee is $135 per new student.

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Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com

Want to learn more about college athletic spending in Michigan?

MLive.com recently published a full report on this, based on NCAA data. Some of the stories:

Michigan's public colleges spend millions to subsidize athletics

Search athletic subsidies at Michigan's public universities

Eastern Michigan AD faces steep money challenges

Lake Superior State has highest per-student athletic subsidy in Michigan