New financial data is shedding light on just how much major college basketball programs are investing behind the scenes, and two Big 12 programs, Arizona and Kansas, rank near the top nationally in operational spending.
The information comes from the NCAA’s Membership Financial Reporting System (MFRS), a report every Division I and Division II school is required to submit each year. The report provides a detailed breakdown of how athletic departments generate revenue and how they allocate spending across each sport.
The data referenced here comes from the Total Operational Expenses line within those reports, which includes spending on coaching salaries, administrative staff, scholarships, recruiting, travel, software, and other day-to-day operational costs tied to running a basketball program. Notably, the figure does not include athlete revenue-sharing payments, meaning these numbers should not be interpreted as a program’s NIL budget or salary cap.
The figures were compiled and analyzed by Matt Brown of Extra Points, who gathered the financial documents through hundreds of open records requests. Because these reports are standardized across schools, they provide one of the most reliable ways to compare how much programs across the country are investing into their basketball operations.
Among the biggest spenders is Arizona, which ranks No. 3 nationally with $22.6 million in operational expenses for its men’s basketball program. The Wildcats’ investment reflects the program’s status as one of the premier brands in college basketball and comes during a period of continued success under head coach Tommy Lloyd.
Another Big 12 powerhouse also appears near the top of the list. Kansas ranks No. 11 nationally, reporting $19.7 million in basketball operational expenses. The Jayhawks have long been one of the sport’s blue-blood programs, and their financial commitment reflects the expectations that come with competing at the highest level of college basketball year after year.
While the data isn’t a perfect measure of program strength or success, it offers a rare look into the financial resources being poured into college basketball programs across the country. For programs like Arizona and Kansas, the numbers reinforce just how much investment goes into maintaining a championship-caliber operation.
