Georgia Tech approves 2026 athletic budget, with $22M increase

Georgia Tech’s athletic budget is on the rise once again.

The school’s board of trustees voted Thursday to approve the department’s budget for the 2026 fiscal year, planning to work with a $159 million total. That figure is an increase from the 2025 fiscal year budget of $137 million.

A good majority of the increased budget is $20.5 million dedicated to sharing revenue with athletes, a byproduct of the House v. NCAA settlement approved June 6 that will allow NCAA schools to pay athletes starting July 1.

The extra $20.5 million included in Tech’s budget has been funded by a number of different sources and through additional fundraising support, according to the board’s proposal. Tech also stands to net $10 million Nov. 28 when it plays Georgia in football at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Revenue payouts from the ACC also will increase slightly in 2026 for Tech. The school could receive a higher amount of revenue from the league from its brand initiative that will distribute 60% of the ACC’s media revenue to schools with higher TV viewership. The Yellow Jackets’ 2025 schedule so far includes games against Colorado on ESPN, against Clemson on either ABC or ESPN and against Georgia on ABC.

Tech has seen a significant increase in athletic spending in recent years. The athletics budget was $127.9 million for the fiscal year 2024, $105.2 million in 2023 and $94.9 million in 2022.

“Just a few years ago our budget was hovering around $100 million,” Tech president Ángel Cabrera said during Thursday’s meeting. “We made a decision, the board made a decision, that we were going to invest and be competitive at the highest level.”

By comparison, ACC rival Clemson reportedly operated with a budget of nearly $182 million for the 2025 fiscal year, Georgia’s proposed athletic budget for the fiscal year 2026 is $223 million and Florida State’s athletic budget was $172 million for the fiscal year ’25.

Tech’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year included $49 million for personnel, $16 million for scholarships and $12 million for recruiting and travel.

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Georgia Tech continues AD search with revenue-sharing payments on horizon

Tech hasn't publicly stated how it will distribute the $20.5 million to its athletes. Interim athletic director Jon Palumbo also didn't want to comment on the AD search.