Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, devoted $442,360 to its women’s basketball teams in 2024, which is $803,582 under the state average of $1,245,942, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
This figure made up 12.6% of the total athletic expenses for Dillard University’s sports teams in 2024.
Dillard University’s cumulative sports spending has grown 177.4% since 2010.
Basketball remains one of the most followed college sports in the United States along with football, drawing large NCAA fan bases and TV ratings that can compete with NBA broadcasts. Events like March Madness routinely attract millions of viewers.
The college sports landscape has shifted, allowing direct compensation for athletes after a federal settlement granted schools new revenue sharing authority with players. The settlement also obligates the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes who participated from 2016 onward, over the course of 10 years.
Athletes in 2022 were also granted the ability to benefit financially from their names, images and likenesses due to changes in NCAA policy and state legislation after mounting legal and political pressure.
The NCAA reported approximately $900 million in revenue from March Madness and related Division I men’s basketball tournament media rights in fiscal year 2024, marking basketball as its top revenue producer.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $457,395 | 26.3% |
| 2021 | $388,742 | 21.7% |
| 2022 | $469,569 | 18.6% |
| 2023 | $389,780 | 13.3% |
| 2024 | $442,360 | 12.6% |
Information for this article is from the U.S. Department of Education. The original source data is available here.
