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We’re continuing to experiment with ways to more effectively turn all the data we have sitting around the Extra Points Library into analysis that a reporter, athletic director, coach or researcher could easily use.
A few weeks ago, we shared our first comprehensive, sport-specific report, a deep dive into softball spending. Later, we produced a similar report for college baseball.
Both of those reports were very well received, so we’d like to expand those offerings. Today, we’re happy to share some data we’ve crunched specifically about the finances around Division I Women’s Basketball. While the full report is published below, Extra Points Library subscribers can also access it directly from Library here.
Below, we’ll share what we’ve learned about national spending trends, the relationship between particular spending and on-field success, where spending is increasing, what national budget distributions look like, and more. Our editor, Joan Niesen, contributed heavily to this report.
Executive Summary
Key metrics across all D-I women’s basketball programs reporting financial data in FY2024-25
Spending is concentrated at the top. The 25 highest-spending programs — 10.6 percent of reporting programs — accounted for 29.1 percent of total expenses.
Bigger budgets don't guarantee a tournament berth. Five of the 25 highest-spending programs in the report missed the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Across the 230 schools that reported data in both FY2023-24 and FY2024-25, reported expenses increased by a total of $40,581,145 (5.9 percent) year over year.
Table of Contents
Spending Landscape
Aggregate and per-program spending, plus spending breakdowns
The median program spent $2,191,779, with the middle 50 percent of programs falling between $1,574,661 and $3,732,703.
UConn spent the most of any program, $13,169,775, and won the 2025 NCAA championship, its 12th national title (more than any other team). South Carolina ranked No. 2, at $13,119,360, and won the 2024 title with a perfect 38–0 record. (It was the 2025 runner-up.) LSU ranked No. 3, at $12,099,218, and won the 2023 championship.
The median coaching staff spend was $718,501, including head coach and assistant coach salaries. The Big East had the highest conference median, at $4,312,015.
The median recruiting budget was $73,258. UConn spent the most on recruiting, at $637,590, 8.7 times the D-I median.
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