The wealthiest men’s college basketball program resides in the Bluegrass State.
A new ESPN report puts the University of Louisville at the top of the list, with the program bringing in about $35 million in profits during last season’s title run.
The Louisville Cardinals had several things going for them last season that helped them earn the title of “wealthiest program” in the nation. They were at, or near, the top of the national rankings last season as they won the school's third NCAA championship, they had the third-highest attendance of any program in the country, and they benefited from the income generated through 71 luxury box seats at the KFC Yum! Center.
Seating a little over 22,000 fans per home game, the Yum! Center was filled to an average of 97.6% capacity last season during U of L’s home games.
One ESPN analyst wrote in the report that the Cardinals’ financial clout was enough to make “even some NBA executives envious.”
