March Madness is big business for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), when its most awaited basketball video games tip off. The males's competition brought in more than $900 million in fiscal year 2024.

Key Takeaways

• The NCAA made $1.38 billion in earnings in fiscal year 2024, with much of it coming from March Insanity. The men's competition generated more than $900 million.Despite the substantial amounts of
• money generated by the NCAA, the players have actually historically gotten no payment. This may be altering, thanks to a pending$2.78 billion settlement.Following a U.S. Supreme Court judgment, 2022 was the very first year when players might earn money from recommendation offers and sponsorships.The NCAA shares its March Insanity earnings with the participating athletic conferences based upon the performance
• of their member schools.Broadcast rights to college sports(Turner and CBS)continue to be the significant source of income for the NCAA, generating $873 million in 2024.
• What Is the Size of the Pot? In the 2024 , college sports ‘governing body made$1.38 billion in income, with broadcast rights(Turner and CBS)

accounting for$873 countless that. On the surface, that seems like cause for outrage, especially in light of just how much the players make: absolutely nothing. Though that might alter, thanks to a pending $2.78 billion settlement that will be decided this spring. While gamersmake no money from March Insanity(yet), they can now earn money for recommendation deals, following a U.S. Supreme Court judgment in 2021. This was after the NCAA obstructed gamers from generating income for years. Essential A 2021 rule modification allows NCAA athletes to generate income from their names, images, and likenesses (NIL ), though

they're still forbidden from being paid to play while in school. Numerous states have actually likewise passed NIL laws. How Tournament Money Gets Divided The NCAA doesn't keep all of the cash it receives from March Madness-related media and marketing deals, however disperses much of it to its member sports conferences, based upon the number of competition

games their groups

played in. The conferences then divide the money among all their teams, utilizing their own formulas. In 2024, the total amount of money awarded for video games during the males's basketball tournament was about$226 million. That's broken down further. In 2023, for instance, Southeastern Conference (SEC )groups played in 17 tournament games and made the highest projected payout of $34 million. Huge 12 conference groups were next, playing in 16 games and making an estimated$32 million, according to Sportico. Naturally, each conference wants to see as many of its member schools in the tournament as possible

, to raise the payout that it gets. For smaller, lesser-known conferences, that money can represent a significant portion of their yearly earnings. When a surprise team that is virtually unidentified makes it through multiple rounds, the payout can represent a much-needed money injection for its conference. For larger conferences, however, such as the Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC)or the Big Ten, the money is more like financial icing on the cake than a significant source of profits. How Revenues Are Shared Within Conferences

The NCAA urges conferences to divide the cash equally amongst their member schools, and many conferences do simply that. Bigger conferences, which have multiple income sources, consistently divide up most of the cash and send it to their member schools ‘sports programs. Smaller sized conferences, however, might depend on that cash to cover their own costs. Only whatever is left over goes to member schools. Quick Reality In 2025, Americans will lawfully wager an estimated$3.1 billion on March Insanity (up from$ 2.7 billion in 2024), according to the American Gaming Association. Just how much Are the NCAA's Annual Profits? For the 2024 fiscal year, the NCAA produced$

1.38 billion in revenues. March Insanity accounts

for the majority of that, in the kind of broadcast rights, ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, and television advertising. When Was the First NCAA Basketball Competition? The very first NCAA males's basketball competition occurred in 1939, with eight groups participating. The University of Oregon played The Ohio State University in the finals, with Oregon winning 46-33. How Many Teams Play During March Insanity? An overall of 68 groups currently play in the NCAA

tournament, a number that's narrowed down through 7 rounds. For 2025, March Insanity started with Choice Sunday on March 16, when the NCAA announced the teams and brackets

, and culminates on April 7, with the NCAA championship game. The Bottom Line There's been plenty of criticism for many years relating to the funding design used by the NCAA. The colleges get just a part of the cash they generate through sports competitions, and the players see none at all. However, brand-new NCAA guidelines and state laws have actually made it

possible for a minimum of some athletes to gain from the marketing of their names, images, and likenesses. And under a pending $2.78 billion settlement, gamers would start getting payment via a new revenue-sharing

strategy. A settlement hearing is scheduled for April 7, and

a judge is anticipated to issue a decision in the coming months. Source