The Wall Street Journal is back with the 50 most valuable college football programs for 2014. Boston College, which in 2013 ranked 50th nationally with a valuation of $110.2 million, fell out of this year's top 50.
Ryan Brewer of Indiana University-Purdue University, Columbus annually values college football programs the way a Wall Street analyst would value a business, based on assets, liabilities, cash flows and a number of different factors. Boston College's 2013 valuation ranked the program eighth in the pre-expansion ACC and 50th nationally. This year, Eagles football falls out of the top 50. Mississippi State is ranked 50 this year with a valuation of $102.0 this year, so assume that Boston College football's stock is down year-over-year; only two years removed from jumping in value from $75.4 million to $110.2 million.
As one of four power conferences to earn two BCS bowl berths, hopefully ACC programs get a boost in next year's rankings with all that extra BCS money coming their way.
Of the eight ACC programs to crack this year's top 50, Florida State reclaims the top spot in the conference with a valuation of $277.9 million. Clemson ($242.6), Virginia Tech ($203.7), Georgia Tech ($184.9) and Miami ($180.8) round out the top five.
Florida State's valuation jumped by more than $118 million year-over-year; the highest increase of ACC programs that finished in this year's top 50. The valuations for Clemson, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Miami and Syracuse were up slightly, while Georgia Tech and N.C. State decreased year-over-year. Virginia and Boston College -- the only other ACC programs valued at more than $100m a year ago -- fall out of the top 50 entirely this year.
Program | 2012 Rank | Conf Rank | Value | 2013 Rank | Conf Rank | Value | 2014 Rank | Conf Rank | Value |
Florida State | 20 | 1 | $267.0 | 33 | 4 | $159.0 | 22 | 1 | $277.9 |
Clemson | 27 | 3 | $179.9 | 27 | 1 | $201.8 | 25 | 2 | $242.6 |
Virginia Tech | 23 | 2 | $212.9 | 30 | 3 | $171.5 | 31 | 3 | $203.7 |
Georgia Tech | 49 | 8 | $108.2 | 29 | 2 | $188.4 | 33 | 4 | $184.9 |
Miami | 41 | 6 | $121.7 | 34 | 5 | $157.7 | 35 | 5 | $180.8 |
North Carolina | 38 | 4 | $126.6 | 54 | 9 | $99.8 | 44 | 6 | $131.8 |
N.C. State | 40 | 5 | $122.2 | 39 | 7 | $143.0 | 47 | 7 | $119.3 |
Syracuse | 66 | 13 | $53.8 | 58 | 11 | $91.4 | 49 | 8 | $105.7 |
Virginia | 54 | 9 | $87.9 | 37 | 6 | $146.3 | |||
Boston College | 58 | 10 | $75.4 | 50 | 8 | $110.2 | |||
Maryland | 62 | 11 | $63.5 | 56 | 10 | $96.0 | |||
Louisville | 43 | 7 | $120.0 | 60 | 12 | $75.4 | |||
Duke | 69 | 14 | $48.4 | 64 | 13 | $62.0 | |||
Pittsburgh | 64 | 12 | $61.9 | 65 | 14 | $59.6 |