LSU had its ups and downs on the field in 2015, but a crushing three-game losing streak and the drama surrounding Les Miles’ future didn’t hurt the Tigers from bringing in a nice chunk of change, $85 million to be exact.

Ross Dellenger of The Advocate reported Monday that LSU football made a $55 million profit in 2015, based on numbers provided by a Tiger Athletic Foundation audit and an NCAA financial report released by the school for the 2015-16 academic year. The football program posted $85.096 million in revenue and paid out $29.818 million in expenses, leaving a profit of $55.278 million.

While the exact numbers might be a little less – Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett believes the real profit may be closer to $40 million, with some football-centric projects not listed as football expenses – it’s still quite an impressive haul, and that profit allows the LSU athletic department to operate. On the whole, the department made a profit of nearly $12 million, bringing in $141.6 million in revenue while paying out $129.8 million in expenses.

Barnett believes that fans of college sports can expect to hear the $55 million profit cited in coming arguments about players getting paid. He’s of the opinion that special players like Leonard Fournette have a case for compensation beyond a scholarship, while a bench-warmer like Lanard Fournette is compensated fairly with a scholarship. Dellenger notes that the 2015-16 year was the first time that cost of attendance, a stipend, was added to player scholarships, which increased the athletic department’s spending by $2 million. Coaches have already talked about the varying stipend amounts having an impact on the recruiting trail.

A detailed look at the athletic department’s profits and expenses provided by Dellenger can be found here. Barnett’s full column on athletic profits and compensation is available here.