In 2024, the University of New Orleans allocated $1,032,829 for women’s basketball teams, which was $213,113 less than the Louisiana state average of $1,245,942, per the U.S. Department of Education.
This figure represented 13.1% of all sports team expenditures for the university that year.
Overall sports spending at the University of New Orleans has risen 117.5% since 2010.
Alongside football, basketball ranks among the most followed collegiate sports in the United States. Major NCAA tournaments such as March Madness regularly draw fan interest and television audiences to rival those of the NBA, reaching millions of viewers annually.
College sports have shifted dramatically after a federal settlement enabled schools to directly share revenue with athletes for the first time. The arrangement also obligates the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion over 10 years in back damages to athletes who participated from 2016 onward.
In 2022, after significant legal and legislative advocacy, college athletes gained the ability to earn compensation from their names, images and likenesses due to changes in certain state laws and NCAA policy.
In the 2024 fiscal year, the NCAA reported approximately $900 million in revenue from March Madness and the men’s Division I basketball tournament media rights, making basketball its top earning sport.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $877,459 | 14.4% |
| 2021 | $784,583 | 11.5% |
| 2022 | $935,031 | 11.5% |
| 2023 | $1,082,432 | 12.7% |
| 2024 | $1,032,829 | 13.1% |
Data in this article comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Find the source information here.
