East Central Reporter

Richland County's institution invested $412,131 on their basketball teams in 2023, a 5.7% increase over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The county’s funding for the basketball teams comprised 45.4% of all money invested in sports teams in 2023.

The average sports expenses in Richland County have grown 39.6% since 2010.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports played at U.S. colleges, as well as football. NCAA basketball teams are often as popular as NBA teams, and offer a different experience for fans.

In 2022, after a decades-long fight, student athletes nationwide gained the right to profit from their names, likenesses, and images as a result of a flurry of new state laws and an NCAA policy change.

The basketball fund received around 168.57 million dollars from NCAA revenue in the 2020–21 school year.

Year	Basketball Team's Expenditures	% from grand total sport team expenditures
2023	$412,131	45.4%
2022	$389,724	39.1%
2021	$385,318	42.1%
2020	$376,042	44%
2019	$330,410	43.9%