HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – With Women’s College Basketball fan investment continuing to rise in recent years, the financial investment is rising too, including for the James Madison Dukes, who are March Madness-bound once again.
According to the US Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool, the Dukes Women’s Basketball program operated with $3.7 million in total team expenses during the 2024-25 season.
Their upcoming opponent in the first round of the tournament, the Kentucky Wildcats, has nearly double that with $7.2 million.
Associate Athletic Director for Branding and Strategic Initiatives for JMU Athletics, Kevin Warner, said the investment into the on-court product is just one small piece of the bigger puzzle in a challenging landscape of NIL, the transfer portal, and revenue sharing in College Sports.
“You put all of that together, and all of those factors weigh into your ability to be successful, it’s resources, it’s facilities, it’s operating and budget, now it’s also revenue share budget and the overall institutional profile,” Warner said.
Warner explained that the work doesn’t stop when the season ends for coaches, administrative officials or the athletes on the court; it’s a 365-day process for teams like JMU, which is the 4th-winningest women’s basketball program in NCAA History.
The three programs that James Madison trails in the all-time win list for Women’s College Basketball include the Stanford Cardinal, the UConn Huskies and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
Despite not having the budget of these Power 5 schools, Warner said that JMU is committed to making sure that all areas across the board are not only well established but also in a position to succeed at the highest level.
“We feel like we’ve done that and will continue to do that,” Warner said.
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