Women’s collegiate basketball programs in Smith County received $1,514,319 in 2024, a 24.7% rise compared with the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Countywide, basketball teams collected $3,282,323 in funding, with women’s squads allocated $1,514,319.
Sports expenses across Smith County are up 238.4% on average since 2010.
Along with football, basketball ranks as one of the most-followed college sports nationally, and high-profile NCAA programs draw large fan bases and television audiences that sometimes rival those of the NBA. March Madness consistently brings in millions of viewers annually.
College sports entered a new chapter of athlete compensation after a federal settlement authorized schools to directly share revenue with student-athletes for the first time. The deal also stipulates the NCAA must pay $2.8 billion over a decade to athletes who played from 2016 onward as back damages.
In 2022, following sustained litigation and regulatory changes, student-athletes gained the ability to profit from their names, images and likenesses under new state laws and an NCAA policy change.
The NCAA reported about $900 million in March Madness and related men’s Division I basketball tournament media rights revenue for the 2024 fiscal year, making basketball its top earner.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures | Total Sport Team Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,514,319 | 8.4% | $18,121,833 |
| 2023 | $1,214,438 | 8.2% | $14,726,001 |
| 2022 | $1,055,169 | 8% | $13,251,719 |
| 2021 | $674,797 | 6.7% | $10,096,089 |
| 2020 | $780,915 | 6.9% | $11,308,931 |
