In 2024, the University of Portland in Oregon spent $3,472,683 on its men’s basketball teams, exceeding the state average of $1,112,490 by $2,360,193, reports the U.S. Department of Education.
This figure comprised 16% of the university’s total sports team expenditures for 2024.
Total sports-related expenses at the University of Portland have grown 112% since 2010.
Basketball ranks among the most popular collegiate athletics in the United States, alongside football, with leading NCAA programs drawing strong fan bases and TV ratings that sometimes rival professional leagues such as the NBA. Events like March Madness draw millions of viewers each year.
Following a federal settlement, schools are now able to share revenue directly with college athletes. The agreement also directs the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over 10 years to athletes who participated from 2016 onward.
Athletes were also granted the ability to profit from their names, images and likenesses in 2022 through legislative and NCAA policy changes, following years of legal challenges.
The NCAA earned nearly $900 million in revenue from the March Madness and Division I men’s basketball tournament media rights during the 2024 fiscal year, making men’s basketball its leading income source.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $3,125,380 | 16.5% |
| 2021 | $2,824,749 | 15.5% |
| 2022 | $3,041,764 | 14.5% |
| 2023 | $3,232,882 | 14.6% |
| 2024 | $3,472,683 | 16% |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education. The source data can be found here.
