Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee spent $216,473 on its women’s basketball teams in 2024, which is $314,160 less than the state average of $530,633, data from the U.S. Department of Education shows.
This represented 6.2% of the institution’s total athletic expenses for all sports teams during that year.
Since 2010, the college has seen its total spending on athletics rise by 173.5%.
Basketball ranks among the most followed collegiate sports in the U.S. along with football, with top NCAA programs drawing crowds and TV viewership comparable to NBA levels. Events like March Madness routinely attract millions of fans annually.
College athletics has shifted toward direct athlete payments after a federal settlement permitted schools to share revenue with players for the first time. The settlement also mandates the NCAA pay $2.8 billion in back damages over the coming decade to student-athletes who competed since 2016.
In 2022, following legal action and new legislation, college athletes secured the right to earn income from their names, images and likenesses under updated state laws and NCAA rules.
The NCAA reported about $900 million in revenue tied to March Madness and other Division I men’s basketball tournament media rights during fiscal 2024, naming basketball the group’s biggest financial driver.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $158,625 | 6% |
| 2021 | $133,216 | 5.7% |
| 2022 | $178,794 | 6% |
| 2023 | $215,576 | 6.2% |
| 2024 | $216,473 | 6.2% |
