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College basketball teams provide annual financial data to the federal government stating how much revenue the program accumulated that year. People often forget that the NCAA is a business; a very lucrative business. From ticket sales to memorabilia, college programs make immense profits off of their talent.
The ethical dilemma presented now revolves around proper compensation for NCAA athletes. Should NCAA athletes get compensated for their talents since they draw in the majority of the program’s revenue? History would tell us no. The revenue reeled in by programs does go back to the university to for pay scholarships, athletic expansions, and other necessities.
However, with so much money being made there is a continued increase in criticism for NCAA athletes not getting paid.
According to the government filings, Louisville sits atop the total revenue ranks with a staggering total of $43,134,625.
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The full list can be seen below.
- Louisville $43,134,625
- Duke $36,412,223
- Syracuse $31,772,639
- Kentucky $30,743,306
- Illinois $25,130,930
- Indiana $25,086,839
- North Carolina $24,660,258
- Ohio State $24,056,371
- Arizona $22,830,561
- Wisconsin $22,438,795
- Michigan State $21,882,125
- Michigan $20,027,574
- Marquette $19,668,714
- Northwestern $19,562,252
- Nebraska $19,340,390
- Kansas $18,802,173
- Texas $18,495,410
- Villanova $17,605,994
- Minnesota $17,454,711
- Florida State $17,304,819
- Arkansas $17,275,988
- Texas Christian $16,239,880
- North Carolina State $16,100,635
- Tennessee $15,978,734
- Alabama $15,298,808
- Gonzaga $14,723,219
- Dayton 14,201,764
- Maryland $14,157,452
- Iowa State $13,956,343
- Missouri $13,772,989
- Oklahoma $13,473,566
- Virginia $13,468,010
- Virginia Tech $13,410,392
- Xavier $13,060,660
- Georgetown $12,849,462
- Oklahoma State $12,438,667
- Pittsburgh $12,102,078
- Memphis $11,859,500
- Florida $11,460,512
- Oregon $11,384,188
- UCLA $11,325,876
- Clemson $11,280,040
- Auburn $11,214,964
- South Carolina $11,112,728
- Penn State $10,949,652
- Iowa $10,828,407
- Providence $10,768,267
- Mississippi $10,572,245
- Georgia $10,252,418
- Washington $10,226,399
- Purdue University $9,891,222
- Texas Tech $9,889,275
- Utah $9,754,858
- Vanderbilt $9,739,474
- Texas A & M $9,225,600
With so much money being made many wonder if universities truly needs all the money. Athletes are competeing every day and risk injury. One minor mishap and their careers can be over before they earn a single penny. Athletes are also prevented from going to professional leagues before they reach a certain age. This limits their opportunities to monetize their talents at a young age.
With much criticism revolving around the NCAA not paying their players, it will be interesting to see how they handle the current situation.