Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, reported spending $1,028,021 on its men’s basketball teams in 2024, which is $32,217 higher than the state’s average expenditure of $995,804, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Men’s basketball accounted for 10.9% of the school’s total athletic spending in 2024.
Total sports expenses at Academy of Art University have surged 94% since 2010.
Basketball remains among the most popular collegiate sports in the nation, alongside football, with major NCAA programs drawing extensive fan followings and television ratings that can sometimes match NBA interest. Annual events like March Madness continue to capture audiences in the millions.
College sports have recently shifted to a new phase of athlete compensation due to a federal settlement enabling schools to share revenue directly with athletes for the first time. The settlement also compels the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion over 10 years to athletes who participated from 2016 onward as back damages.
In 2022, following longstanding legal and legislative advocacy, athletes won the right to earn income from their names, images and likenesses due to changes in state requirements and an NCAA policy update.
The NCAA reported about $900 million in revenue from March Madness and media rights for the Division I men’s basketball tournament during the 2024 fiscal year, marking basketball as its primary revenue driver.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $846,941 | 10.7% |
| 2021 | $729,686 | 11.1% |
| 2022 | $747,993 | 9.9% |
| 2023 | $915,320 | 10.7% |
| 2024 | $1,028,021 | 10.9% |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education. The source data can be found here.
