The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is set to make $28 million over the next six years thanks to its teams' dominance in the NCAA Tournament.
According to ESPN, the NCAA pays its member conferences for their teams' tournament appearances in six-year increments. The six ACC teams in this year's tourney have each played two games and combined for an overall 11-1 record.
The game appearances in the NCAA Tournament are measured in units, ESPN reported, and the conference has accumulated 12 thus far. Each unit is worth an annual payout that increases in its value each year for six years.
Only Virginia has lost, falling to Michigan State in the round of 32, but the other five (Duke, Notre Dame, North Carolina, N.C. State and Louisville) are in the Sweet 16. At the most, four ACC teams could make the Elite Eight.
Since Louisville and N.C. State are playing each other in the Sweet 16, the ACC is guaranteed at least one unit in the Elite Eight, but they can get up to four in the next round. Only the national title game does not yield a unit.
At the end of the day, the ACC splits its units with its member schools, ESPN reported. The Big East holds the record for most units in a single tournament with 24 in 2009 before teams like UConn, Villanova, Syracuse and Louisville were members. The ACC can earn as many as 26 units this year.
The ACC seems poised to surpass $28 million in units, as four of their five teams in play are at least a four-seed. ESPN's Darren Rovell noted the payout system is a way for the NCAA to divvy up its massive television rights deal. The current contract lasts 14 years and is worth $10.8 billion.
