Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee spent $2,790,336 on women’s basketball teams in 2024, data from the U.S. Department of Education shows. This figure surpasses the Tennessee state average allocation of $1,049,532 by $1,740,804.
The 2024 funding made up 12.3% of total athletic expenses at Belmont University.
Sports-related expenses overall at Belmont University have grown 156.2% since 2010.
Along with football, basketball remains one of the most followed college sports in the U.S. Major NCAA programs receive high fan turnout and television ratings that can approach NBA viewership. Annual tournaments, including March Madness, draw millions of fans each season.
College sports are seeing major changes in athlete compensation following a federal settlement that permits schools to directly share their revenue with athletes. The settlement also mandates the NCAA pay $2.8 billion in back damages over 10 years to student-athletes who played from 2016 onwards.
Athletes gained additional rights in 2022, when state laws and an NCAA policy shift allowed them to earn income from their names, images and likenesses.
During fiscal year 2024, the NCAA earned close to $900 million from media rights associated with March Madness and the Division I men’s basketball tournament, maintaining basketball as its primary source of income.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,706,512 | 11.1% |
| 2021 | $1,587,584 | 11.3% |
| 2022 | $2,557,323 | 14.1% |
| 2023 | $2,508,253 | 12.4% |
| 2024 | $2,790,336 | 12.3% |
Information for this report comes from the U.S. Department of Education. Source data is available here.
