In an attempt to free up more bandwidth for data-hungry smartphones, the Federal Communications Commission is inviting public-television stations — including those run by colleges — to sell off their slivers of the airwaves. The agency has announced openings bids that project what roughly 1,800 stations might receive for moving to lower-frequency channels or for going off-air entirely. Here are the colleges that got the highest bids for going off-air, which is the most lucrative option. Also listed are the bids they got for moving to a high-VHF channel, the least lucrative option. Participants will probably make only a fraction of the money represented by the opening bids, and institutions that participate in the auction's first round may not end up selling their spectrums.
| College | Bid to go off-air | Bid to move to high-VHF | Participating in first round? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ana G. Méndez U. System (Puerto Rico) | $463,767,300463767300 | $185,506,920185506920 | * |
| Ball State U. | $276,435,900276435900 | $110,574,360110574360 | Y |
| Bates Technical College | $368,647,200368647200 | $147,458,880147458880 | N |
| Bowling Green State U., main campus | $188,103,600188103600 | $75,241,44075241440 | Y |
| Central Michigan U. | $780,512,400780512400 | $312,204,960312204960 | Y |
| Central Texas College | $246,181,500246181500 | $98,472,60098472600 | Y |
| City Colleges of Chicago District | $473,427,900473427900 | $189,371,160189371160 | * |
| Daytona State College | $258,227,100258227100 | $103,290,840103290840 | Y** |
| Eastern Florida State College | $265,476,600265476600 | $106,190,640106190640 | Y** |
| Howard U. | $460,273,500460273500 | $184,109,400184109400 | Y |
| Liberty U. | $203,770,800203770800 | $81,508,32081508320 | Y |
| Michigan State U. | $206,728,200206728200 | $82,691,28082691280 | N |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | $505,914,300505914300 | $128,918,160128918160 | Y |
| Missouri State U. | $211,561,200211561200 | $84,624,48084624480 | N |
| Ohio State U., main campus | $457,949,700457949700 | $183,179,880183179880 | * |
| Ohio U., main campus | $371,664,000371664000 | $148,665,600148665600 | Y |
| San Bernardino Community College District | $627,588,900627588900 | $251,035,560251035560 | Y |
| San Diego State U. | $218,327,400218327400 | $87,330,96087330960 | N |
| San Mateo County Community College District | $372,513,600372513600 | $149,005,440149005440 | Y |
| U. of Arizona | $247,376,700247376700 | $98,950,68098950680 | Y |
| U. of Central Florida | $319,059,000319059000 | $127,623,600127623600 | N |
| U. of North Carolina system | $2,589,294,6002589294600 | $1,035,717,8401035717840 | N |
| U. of South Florida, main campus | $349,171,200349171200 | $139,668,480139668480 | Y |
| U. of Wisconsin Extension | $710,513,100710513100 | $284,205,240284205240 | N |
