The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) of the United States is the world’s largest university sports organisation.
Let’s join the Madness and learn some facts about the NCAA.
Top 10 Fascinating NCAA Facts and Statistics
- Division I member schools and conferences receive $600 million annually
- 15.9 million viewers for The Ohio State vs. Michigan college football game
- The average basketball ticket price in 2021 was US $143
- COVID-19’s impact on the annual distribution amount is 62.5%
- 56% of the athletes competing in the NCAA 2021 were male
- UCLA has won 11 NCAA basketball championships to 2021
- $910 million were spent on advertising during “March Madness” in 2019
NCAA Industry Statistics
1. Division I member schools and conferences receive $600 million annually.
(NCAA)
Division I receives approximately 60%, while Divisions II and III receive 4.37% and 3.18% of total NCAA revenue, respectively.
The NCAA also funds a variety of services and educational programs for student-athletes and member schools, as well as scholarships, grants, and internships.
2. Division I members totalled US$ 246,28 in 2020.
(Statista)
Other expenses by segment (in million U.S. dollars):
- Association-wide programs – 171,17
- Division I Championships, programs & NIT tournaments – 56,23
- Management & general – 40,81
- Division II championships, distribution and programs – 38,29
- Division III championships and programs – 22,2
3. 15.9 million viewers for The Ohio State vs. Michigan college football game.
(Spartans Wire) (On3) (Statista)
With such a large audience, this is the most-watched NCAA football game of the 2021 regular season.
With a rating of 24.1, though, the 1979 Michigan St. vs. Indiana St. game is the most-watched and televised NCAA basketball national championship of all time.
The NFL, on the other hand, drew in an average of 14.9 million people during a regular-season game in 2020.
4. The average football ticket price in 2020 for Southeastern Conference was US $168.
(Statista)
Prices for other leagues and conferences:
- Big Ten Conference – US $133
- Pacific 12 Conference – US $129
- Texas Big 12 Conference – US $117
- Atlantic Coast Conference – US $96
Related: How many players are on a college football team?
5. The average basketball ticket price in 2021 was $143.
(CBS Sports)
The 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of COVID-19. The number of tickets available in 2021 was limited for the same reason. 46% of the ticket buyers came from either Indiana or Illinois, states that don’t require much travelling to attend the game.
Compared to the previous three years, the average cost of a ticket was US $255.
6. Who is the highest-paid coach in the NCAA basketball league?
(Briefly)
John Calipari of Kentucky is the highest-paid coach in the NCAA basketball league.. These are the five highest-paid coaches in NCAA basketball.
- John Calipari of Kentucky, earning US $8 million per year. He signed a 10-year, $86-million contract extension in June 2019. His current net worth is estimated at around US $45 million;
- Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils, earning around US $7 million on a yearly basis. Mike’s net worth is also $45 million;
- Jay Wright of Villanova Wildcats with US $6 million. Jay Wright’s net worth is $7 million, but this amount will go up following his recent raise;
- Chris Beard of the University of Texas at Austin, earning a bit over US $5 million. He is the highest-paid basketball coach in the Big 12.
- Rick Barnese of the Tennessee Volunteers with US $4.95 million. He has a net worth of $16 million dollars.
7. COVID-19’s impact on the annual distribution amount is 62.5%.
(The Sport Journal)
Given that the entire 2020 season got cancelled, and that the NCAA derives most of its revenue from ticket sales and marketing campaigns, as well as streaming and television, the industry has suffered a significant loss.
To that point, the NCAA’s March decision was to reduce the expected US $600 million to only US $225 million, while also contributing $50 million in relief from their own reserve.
NCAA Demographics
8. 15% increase in female NCAA Executives was recorded from 2009-2020.
(Statista)
In 2009, there were 78% male and 22% female NCAA executives; in 2020, those numbers were 35.3% female and 64.7% male NCAA executives.
9. 56% of the athletes competing in the NCAA 2021 were male.
(NCAA)
With a number of 275,175 professional athletes, the males outnumber females in the NCAA sports field, which are represented by 218,122 competitors, which is around 44% of the total 493,297 student professional athletes in 2021.
10. Whites represent more than 60% of students and leaders.
(NCAA)
63% of total student-athletes are white, 16% are Black, 6% are Latin, and only 2% are from an Asian ethnicity.
The difference in the leadership positions is even greater, with 85% of white males and females holding a director’s position in the NCAA.
11. US Colleges received over $ 4 billion in Athletic Scholarships in 2019-20.
(Scholarship Stats)
As the most successful division, Division I offers full scholarships. Around US $2.76 billion were distributed to 357 schools. The average male scholarship is $18,013, and the female $18,722, considering that female athletes were fewer than the male by 9%.
March Madness History Facts and Stats
12. Who has the most NCCA basketball championships?
(Statista)
UCLA has won 11 NCAA basketball championships. Kentucky is in the second-highest place with 8 titles won, and North Carolina is on the third “bronze” pedestal, with 6 championships. Kentucky is also one of the University to churn out some of the best young players in the NBA, including Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo.
Related: Who are the top NBA draft busts
13. 660,000 attended the NCAA college basketball tournament in 2019.
(Statista)
Unfortunately, because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020 event had been cancelled..
Despite this, the highest amount collected from ticket sales was recorded in 2013, with US 799k solely from paid audience revenue.
14. $910 million were spent on advertising during “March Madness” in 2019.
(Statista)
Before, during and after the game, companies are spending an astounding amount of US dollars to be advertised while the games are broadcast on TV.
The largest amount spent on advertising was in 2018, going up to US $943 million, March Madness facts and trivia reveal.
15. Coca-Cola spent $31 million during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in 2019.
(Statista)
With this amount, the popular company ranks in fifth place.
The first position belongs to General Motors, which spent around US $75 million on advertising their company during the March Madness TV broadcasting.
NCAA Fun Facts
16. An NCAA tournament costs corporate corporations $1.9 billion each hour.
(Wallethub)
Named “the ultimate time burglar”, the “March Madness Fever” costs workers their productivity – and significant money loss for companies!
17. How old is the NCAA tournament?
(The Best Schools)
The NCAA Tournament has been held for 8 decades to this day. Despite the long years of the tournament’s existence, NCAA basketball facts prove that only 35 schools and universities have ever won the top prize throughout the 80-years of existence.
18. Beer consumption increases by 3 million during March Madness.
(WalletHub)
American beer companies increase their average beer lot productivity during March, from an average of 14 million to around 17 million as it’s been proved in recent years that the average necessity increases, alongside the home orders for pizza (for 19%).
NCAA Trends 2021
19. 47 million people participated in college basketball bracket polls
(WalletHub)
38% were unsure whether betting on an NCAA tournament was legal, but still this event resulted in wagers twice as high as the one for the SuperBowl.
The average bet on a single ticket on the NCAA Tournament was around 30 bucks.
A Finishing Touch
College sports are more than just a gateway to the big leagues and huge sponsorship deals. Facts about the NCAA show that they draw in huge crowds, report high viewership numbers and earn millions every year.
So, get ready for some madness this March and enjoy the fun!
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