Orleans Parish allocated $9,660,945 to men’s collegiate basketball teams in 2024, a reduction of 4.2% from the prior year, based on data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Boys’ basketball programs received $9,660,945 of the overall $16,573,304 spent on basketball teams in the parish.
The parish’s average sports expenditures have climbed by 126.9% since 2010.
In the United States, basketball remains among the most popular collegiate sports alongside football, with leading NCAA teams attracting large fan bases and TV audiences comparable to those of professional leagues. Signature events like March Madness bring in millions of viewers annually.
Following a federal settlement that now enables direct revenue sharing with college players, student-athlete compensation in college athletics has entered a new phase. The agreement also stipulates that the NCAA pay $2.8 billion in back damages over the next decade to athletes who competed beginning in 2016.
Beginning in 2022, after extended court and legislative action, college athletes were also granted the right to earn money from their names, images and likenesses due to state legislation and NCAA policy updates.
The NCAA generated approximately $900 million in revenue during fiscal year 2024 through March Madness and coverage rights for the Division I men’s basketball tournament, confirming basketball as the top revenue stream for the organization.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures | Total Sport Team Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,660,945 | 13.6% | $70,994,755 |
| 2023 | $10,081,463 | 13.7% | $73,399,763 |
| 2022 | $9,176,182 | 15.4% | $59,574,782 |
| 2021 | $6,215,529 | 12% | $51,661,469 |
| 2020 | $6,758,996 | 13.5% | $50,031,721 |
Information for this story comes from the U.S. Department of Education. See the original source data here.
