In 2024, Hinds County allocated $2,177,670 toward women’s collegiate basketball teams, reflecting a 3.5% increase over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The total funding for county basketball teams amounted to $4,480,390, with women’s programs accounting for $2,177,670 of that sum.
Sports-related expenditures in Hinds County have risen 93.4% on average since 2010.
Basketball remains one of the most popular college sports in the U.S., with football, attracting significant fan interest and television audiences rivaling the NBA’s. Major tournaments, such as March Madness, consistently draw millions of viewers annually.
The landscape of college sports compensation changed after a federal settlement gave schools the ability to share revenue directly with players for the first time. The settlement obliges the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over a 10-year period to athletes who participated since 2016.
In 2022, athletes secured the right to earn compensation using their names, images and likenesses through state legislation and adjustments to NCAA policy.
The NCAA generated nearly $900 million from March Madness and related Division I men’s basketball tournament media rights in fiscal 2024, making basketball the organization’s top revenue generator.
| Year | Basketball team’s expenditures | % from grand total sport team expenditures | Total Sport Team Expenditures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,177,670 | 6.9% | $31,483,670 |
| 2023 | $2,104,838 | 7.2% | $29,329,835 |
| 2022 | $1,949,938 | 6.8% | $28,871,840 |
| 2021 | $1,657,251 | 6.9% | $23,993,729 |
| 2020 | $1,685,268 | 6.3% | $26,801,198 |
