Collegiate Athletics Compensation Survey - 2026


Collegiate Athletics

Current Survey Status

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Steve Schwarzer
+1 408 643 0381
steve@wmgnet.com

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Survey Blog

2026 Survey Materials Available
08 October 2025

2025 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
20 March 2025

2024 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
12 April 2024

2023 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
05 May 2023

2022 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
28 March 2022

2021 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
31 March 2021

2020 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
06 April 2020

2019 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
27 March 2019

2018 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
27 March 2018

2017 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
27 March 2017

2016 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
29 March 2016

Western Management Group invites your participation in the 2026 Collegiate Athletics Compensation Survey. This annual survey collects Total Cash Compensation data on Head Coach and Assistant Coach positions in a wide variety of intercollegiate sports, as well as other key Athletics Department managerial and staff-level positions.

Advisory / Design Team

We would like to thank the members of the Advisory / Design Team for their support and assistance. Representatives from the Human Resources and Athletics Departments of the following institutions contributed to the design of this survey.
 
Babson College
Bucknell University
Dartmouth College
Harvard University
Northeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Princeton University
Southern Methodist University
University Of Michigan
University Of Virginia

Key Features

  • The survey has been designed to capture compensation data elements important in determining Total Compensation packages for Coaches and other Athletics Department positions, including:
     
    Hourly and Annualized Base Pay Rates     
    Institution-Wide Bonuses
    Athletics Department Bonuses
    Third-Party Income
    Pay Grade Ranges    		 Perks Provided
    Annual Value of Perks
    Benefits Fringe Rate
    Number of Months Worked
    Percent FTE Worked 
  • Coaching Positions in over 20 intercollegiate men’s and women’s sports
  • Other Athletics Department Positions including positions in Athletics Administration, Operations, Facilities, Marketing, Communications and Events Management
  • 98 participants were included in the 2025 edition
  • Nationwide data covering over 100 geographic areas
  • Data broken out by Geographic Area, Division, Budget Size and more

  • A variety of Output Report options, including online report generation capability

New This Year

New Field

Campus / Location Name

Please refer to the survey Input Instructions for a full list of updated and revised survey content.

Survey Schedule

September 2025
1 October 2025
15 December 2025
March 2026
Distribution of Input Materials
Effective Date of Data
Deadline for Submission of Data - Extended to 13 February 2026
Results Available for Participants via DataCentral®

Survey Fees

All survey results are delivered via our DataCentral® online survey report tool. You have YEAR ROUND access to both the Standard Report which includes data from ALL participants on ALL jobs, and Custom Report where you can create your own report selections based on your choice of participants, institution type, employment size, budget size, geographies, etc. With the Custom Report you have complete control of the complexity of analyses, comparisons, and customization of results from the survey database, and you can run an unlimited number of reports to satisfy your needs on a 24x7 basis. All results are provided in both PDF and XLS Formats, including uploadable XLS versions.
 
DataCentral® Access     
Provides BOTH Standard and Custom Report Access     $ 1,950  

Survey Discounts

We firmly believe in rewarding our survey participants for helping to make our surveys better. You can earn significant discounts this year!

$ 75   On-Time Discount if you submit your data by 15 December 2025
$ 250   Previous Participant Discount for all 2025 Collegiate Athletics Survey Participants
$ 250   Multiple Survey Discount if you participate in BOTH the Collegiate Athletics Compensation Survey AND the EduComp Compensation Survey you will receive a $250 discount on your Collegiate Athletics Compensation Survey final results.
$ 300   New Participant Referral Discount for each new participant you refer – PLUS the company you refer also receives this discount!

Survey Results and Samples - DataCentral®

There are two levels of results access available depending on your needs…whether you only need the Standard Report in PDF or XLS format covering ALL of the participants and ALL of the jobs, or Custom Report access which provides complex reporting “drill-down” capabilities.  Regardless of the level chosen, all participants will receive a FULL YEAR of 24x7 access to DataCentral® to download your reports online, or run unlimited Custom Reports and get immediate results. Both levels described below will provide the analyses in both PDF and XLS Formats.
 
STANDARD DOWNLOADABLE REPORTS 
Download the full survey Standard Report which contains ALL data from ALL participants.  Your data is included in the computation of job data statistics and totals.  Available in both Adobe Acrobat.pdf and Excel.xls formats, at no additional cost. 
 
  • Job Descriptions:  Uploadable job descriptions in Excel, Word and Adobe Acrobat are also provided at no additional cost.
  • Summary Report:  Displays a line of data for each job, including basic statistics such as:
Grade Ranges
Average or Median Institution Bonus 

Average or Median Athletics Department Bonus
Average or Median Third Party Income
Average or Median Total Compensation
Average or Median Target Bonus Percentage
Average or Median Base Pay
Number of Months Worked
Value of Perks
Fringe Rate
Total Number of Incumbents
Total Number of Institutions

View a sample of the Summary Report
 
  • Detail Report:  Provides a full page of data analysis for each job, including statistics on each pay element such as:
75th, 50th, 25th Percentiles 
Number of Employees Reported 
Employee Weighted Average 
Number of Incumbents
Number of Institutions 
Institution Weighted Average
Earnings Mix: Showing Base, Bonus Compensation as a percentage of Total Cash 
FLSA Status
Job Match
Prevalence and Impact Statistics and Analysis for various Pay Elements

Prevalence of Perks Provided

View a sample of the Detail Report
 
  • Breakout Report:  For each survey job, displays averages or median of each pay element by Institution Type and Size, NCAA Division, Geographic Area and Revenue.
Average or Median Base Pay
Average or Median Bonus 
Average or Median Total Cash Compensation
Average or Median Target Bonus Percentage
Total Number of Incumbents 
Total Number of Institutions
 
View a sample of the Breakout Report
 
  • Uploadable Excel Report:  Provides a job-by-job spreadsheet report with all of the major statistics and pay elements laid out in a readily uploadable format for third party analysis software.
CUSTOM GENERATED REPORTS 
The Custom Report Option offers detailed and full customized reporting capability.  Ideal for participants who need reports based on a selected set of participants or to meet specific scoping criteria.  You have complete control and flexibility in defining your own reports to include the pay elements and statistics you require.
 

Institution Selections
Company Size by Revenue or Employment
Business Segment and Product Category
Geographic Area: Region/State/Metro Area
Data Elements and Statistics Calculations
Custom Percentiles
Standard Deviations
Weighted and Simple Averages
Data Aging
And much more!

Includes all of the above reports from the Standard level PLUS
 
  • Uploadable Excel Breakout Report:  Similar to the Uploadable Excel Report above, PLUS adds the ability to split the results into categories such as Geography, Institution Type, NCAA Division, or Budget Size, etc.
  • Market Comparison Report:  Provides a tabular and graphic comparison of your own company data to that of your selected market. An easy way to show competitive standing of your company.
View a sample of the Market Comparison Report
 
For a live demonstration of the power, flexibility and capabilities of DataCentral go to www.wmgnet.com and scroll down to ”Our Features” under “DataCentral” and click on “Take a Test Drive”, or call Steve Schwarzer at +1 408 643 0381 for additional guidance.

Recent Participants - 2025

American University
Auburn University
Babson College
Baylor University
Bentley University
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryant University
Bucknell University
California Institute of Technology
California State University/Dominguez Hills
Carnegie Mellon University
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia University
Cornell University
Creighton University
Dartmouth College
DePaul University
Emory University
Florida International University
Fordham University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gonzaga University
Harvard University
Indiana University
Indiana University/East
Indiana University/Indianapolis
Indiana University/Kokomo
Indiana University/Northwest
Indiana University/South Bend
Indiana University/Southeast
Ithaca College
James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University
Lamar University
Lehigh University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Maryland
Macalester College
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
New York University
Northeastern University/Boston
Northeastern University/Mills College Oakland
Nova Southeastern University
Ohio State University/Columbus
Pomona College		 Princeton University
Providence College
Quinnipiac University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Salve Regina University
Santa Clara University
Smith College
Southern Methodist University
St. John's University
Stanford University
Suffolk University
SUNY Stony Brook University
Swarthmore College
Temple University
Texas Christian University
Tufts University
University of Alabama/Birmingham
University of California/Irvine
University of California/Los Angeles
University of California/Merced
University of California/Riverside
University of California/Santa Barbara
University of Chicago
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota/Crookston
University of Minnesota/Duluth
University of Minnesota/Morris
University of Minnesota/Twin Cities
University of Mississippi
University of North Dakota
University of North Georgia
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of Texas/Arlington
University of Texas/Dallas
University of Texas/Rio Grande Valley
University of Utah
US Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Virginia Tech University
Wake Forest University
Washington University/St. Louis
Wellesley College
Yale University

Survey Job Coverage

 NEW AND REVISED POSITIONS INDICATED IN BOLD RED ITALICS
 
COACHING POSITIONS
 
Football

Head Coach
Offensive Coordinator
Defensive Coordinator
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Baseball

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Basketball - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Basketball - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Crew/Rowing - Lightweight - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Crew/Rowing - Lightweight - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Crew/Rowing - Lightweight - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Crew/Rowing - Heavyweight - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Crew/Rowing - Heavyweight - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Crew/Rowing - Heavyweight - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Equestrian - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Fencing - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Fencing - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Fencing - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Field Hockey - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Golf - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Golf - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Golf - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Gymnastics - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Gymnastics - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Gymnastics - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Ice Hockey - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Ice Hockey - Women's

Head Coach
AAssistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
LaCrosse - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
LaCrosse - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Sailing - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Sailing - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Sailing - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Skiing - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Skiing - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Skiing - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Soccer - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Soccer - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Softball

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Squash - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Squash - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Squash - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Swimming/Diving - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Swimming/Diving - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Swimming/Diving - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Tennis - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Tennis - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Tennis - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Track/Field/Cross-Country - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Track/Field/Cross-Country - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Track/Field/Cross-Country - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Volleyball - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Volleyball - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Volleyball - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Water Polo - Men's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Water Polo - Women's

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Water Polo - Combined

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
Wrestling

Head Coach
Assistant Coach - Career
Assistant Coach - Intermediate
Assistant Coach - Entry
Assistant Coach - Non-Benefited
ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS ** Indicates that this position is duplicated in the EduComp Survey.


Athletics - Director  **
Athletics - Associate Director  **
Intercollegiate Sports - Associate Director  **
Intramural Sports - Associate Director **
Athletic Trainer - Head **
Athletic Trainer **
Athletic Trainer - Assistant **
Strength and Fitness - Coach
Strength and Fitness - Assistant Coach
Athletic Compliance Officer - Specialist
Athletic Compliance Officer - Career **
Women’s Administrator - Specialist
Sports Operations Administrator
Athletics Development Officer
Instructional Learning Specialist - Career **
Academic Coordinator/Study Skills Specialist
Administrative Specialist
Travel Coordinator
ATHLETIC FACILITIES ** Indicates that this position is duplicated in the EduComp Survey.


Athletic Facilities - Director
Athletic Facilities - Associate Director **
Athletic Facilities Manager - Large Facilities
Athletic Facilities Manager - Smaller Facilities
Athletic Facilities Manager - Aquatics
Athletic Facilities Manager - Ice Rink
Equipment Operations - Director
Equipment Operations - Manager
Athletic/Front Desk Attendant
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS ** Indicates that this position is duplicated in the EduComp Survey.


Athletics Communications Administrator - Specialist
Athletics Communications Administrator - Career
Sports Information - Director **
Sports Information - Associate Director
Athletics Marketing Administrator - Specialist
Athletics Marketing Administrator - Career
EVENTS MANAGEMENT ** Indicates that this position is duplicated in the EduComp Survey.


Events Manager
Events Coordinator
Ticketing Manager