March Madness Daily: Spending Imbalances Galore
Troy spent $1.8 million on men's basketball last season. Its first round opponent reported double that on travel alone.
Welcome back to Club Sportico, where we break down the intersection of sports and money—with an extra bit of humor and opinion. Here’s your daily March Madness business nugget:
The men’s basketball tournament kicks off tonight with a pair of First Four games. One of them features North Carolina, whose inclusion sparked an internet debate about conflicts of interest, and—inexplicably—a state attorney general’s investigation.
Here’s a look at the budgets for all 68 teams in the men’s draw. Unsurprisingly, the highest-seeded teams tend to spend more than the lowest-seeded teams. The biggest spender is Kentucky 🐈 at $24.2 million; the lowest is Alabama State 🐝 at $1.07 million.
The financial imbalances are part of what makes this tournament so fun. The most lopsided first-round matchup, budget-wise, is Kentucky 🐈 vs. Troy ⚔️. The Trojans spent $1.8 million on men’s basketball in 2023; less than half of what the Wildcats spent on men’s basketball travel ($3.8 million).
From SC to SU
Here’s the same data for the 68 teams on the women’s side. You’ll notice an even stronger link between seeding and spending. The top spender is South Carolina 🐔 at $10.8 million; the lowest spender is Southern 🐆 at $936,000.
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Club Sportico is a community organized by Sportico, a digital media company launched in 2020 to cover the business side of sports. You can read breaking news, smart analysis, and in-depth features from Eben, Jacob and their colleagues at Sportico.com, and listen to the Sporticast podcast wherever you get your audio. Contact us at club@sportico.com.